FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the continued suspension from the Afghan parliament of Malalai Joya; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: In May 2007 Malalai Joya was suspended for three years (until the end of the legislative term) by her peers in the Afghan parliament for contravening Article 70 of the Afghan parliament's rules of procedure. Article 70 states that members of parliament who insult others are subject to disciplinary action. Action was taken against Ms Joya after a media interview in which she said that the Afghan parliament was worse than a 'stable or zoo'. Ms Joya has the right to challenge the decision and has indicated her intention to do so. Together with EU partners, we regularly raise the issue of freedom of expression in Afghanistan and look forward to Ms Joya and the Afghan parliament resolving this internal parliamentary issue.
	A member of our embassy staff met with Malalai Joya on 1 May 2008. Ms Joya gave an account of her suspension by the Afghan parliament and discussed Afghan politics.

Afghanistan: Politics and Government

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he or his Department has had with Wali Karzai; and what his role is in the Afghan Government.

Kim Howells: holding answer 5 June 2008
	Our officials last met with Ahmad Wali Karzai on 21 November 2007. The meeting was to discuss routine Afghan political issues. Ahmad Wali Karzai was elected head of the Kandahar Provincial Council in 2005 and is also President Karzai's special adviser to the South.

Burma: Democracy

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions the British Ambassador to Thailand has had with representatives of Burma's democracy movement.

Meg Munn: Our ambassador in Bangkok has held discussions with Burmese political organisations and other civil society representatives six times in 2008. We continue to maintain a dialogue with groups campaigning for democracy in Burma, in the UK and in the region.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what meetings his Department's officials held with Karen National Union General Secretary Padoh Mahn Sha in the 12 months before he was assassinated in February 2008;
	(2)  what reports he has received on the alleged involvement of Col Htin Maung and Pastor Timothy Laklem of the KNU Peace Council in the assassination of Padoh Mahn Sha, General Secretary of the Karen National Union, Burma.

Meg Munn: To date, we have received no conclusive reports on which person or parties were involved in the assassination of Pado Mahn Sha on 14 February 2008. The case is still under investigation by the Thai police. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials had no meeting with Pado Mahn Sha in the 12 months prior to his assassination. I sent a message of condolence to his daughter, Zoya Phan.

Burma: Storms

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government issued warnings about Cyclone Nargis to British residents in Burma; and whether such warnings were also given to the regime ruling Burma.

Meg Munn: Based on data from the Meteorological Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Burma was updated on 30 April to inform British nationals that tropical Cyclone Nargis was forecast to make landfall on the Burmese coast between 2-3 May. This advice was again updated on 1 May to inform that the cyclone would make landfall on 2 May on the central Burmese coast. On 1 May, our embassy in Rangoon sent a notice to all registered British nationals and other nationals to whom we provide consular assistance. The notice warned of the cyclone and included links to websites with information on extreme weather.
	The Burmese Department of Meteorology and Hydrology has said that it tracked the storm from 29 April 2008 and, in doing so, claims to have been in contact with Indian, Thai, UK and US meteorological authorities and agencies. The Burmese Government said that on 1 May and 2 May, local television and radio warned of the storm and specifically that the wind could be strong and destructive.

Enrichment Bond

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the National Security Strategy, Cm 7291, what definition he uses of enrichment bond; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK supports efforts to develop a viable regime of nuclear fuel assurances under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that would support states' rights to safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology under Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
	The Enrichment Bond is one such proposal. It would involve an agreement between supplier state government or governments, the recipient state and the IAEA, in which the supplier government or governments would guarantee that, subject to compliance with international law and to meeting non-proliferation commitments to be assessed by the IAEA, national enrichment providers will not be prevented from supplying the recipient state with uranium enrichment services in the event that the guarantee is invoked.

Nuclear Disarmament

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 409W, on nuclear disarmament, what progress has been made by the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston in taking forward proposals to develop a disarmament laboratory.

Kim Howells: The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is continuing to undertake research into the technical aspects of verifying multilateral nuclear disarmament. This forms part of a series of wider activities announced in June 2007 by my right hon. Friend, the then Foreign Secretary (Margaret Beckett) to make the UK a 'Disarmament Laboratory'.
	AWE's research so far, partly in partnership with Norway and the non-governmental organisation, Verification Education, Research and Information Centre, was presented to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee in Geneva in May. Although this research is expected to take a number of years, we have made a good start. For example, we are looking forward to undertaking 'managed access' simulation to a nuclear facility in Norway within the year.
	In addition to the work being undertaken by AWE, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne) announced in February our offer to host a technical conference of scientists from the P5 nuclear laboratories to discuss the issues surrounding the verification of nuclear disarmament. Also, the UK is supporting a study by the International Institute of Strategic Studies into the political and technical requirements for a world free from nuclear weapons which will be published in September.

Saudi Arabia: Embassies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff work at the British consulate in Riyadh; and how many of those deal with complaints from British citizens about Hajj pilgrimages.

Meg Munn: The consular section of our embassy in Riyadh comprises six full time members of staff. Any complaints from British citizens about Hajj pilgrimages are passed to our consul for investigation and reply.

Saudi Arabia: Festivals and Special Occasions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from the British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia on the Hajj pilgrimage.

Kim Howells: Our embassy in Riyadh sent a report to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary following the conclusion of the 2007 Hajj pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabia: Festivals and Special Occasions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia to discuss the Hajj pilgrimage; and when he last discussed the case of Mr. Rafiq Gorji with the ambassador.

Kim Howells: Our ambassador in Riyadh briefed my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on general issues around the Hajj during his visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2008.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and our ambassador in Riyadh have not discussed the case of Mr. Rafiq Gorji. Consular officials in Saudi Arabia provided Mr. Gorji with all appropriate consular assistance following the coach crash in which he lost his wife during the December 2006 Hajj.

USA: Entry Clearances

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he and other Ministers in his Department have had with US Administration representatives on the issuing of US visas to people with HIV/AIDS; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: While the UK generally regards a third country's immigration policy as solely a domestic matter for the country involved, officials have previously raised the subject of US entry clearance procedures for individuals with HIV/AIDS with both the US State Department and the US embassy in London and will continue to do so in the future. I will also look for an early opportunity to raise this matter with the US authorities.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Burma: Asian Tribal Ministries

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department provides funding to Asian Tribal Ministries operations in Burma; and whether officials from his Department have met staff or volunteers from Asian Tribal Ministries.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not provide funding for Asian Tribal Ministries operations and has no plans to do so. DFID officials have met representatives from a very broad range of Thailand based Burmese organisations, including Asian Tribal Ministries.

Burma: Internally Displaced Persons

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has provided to Burmese people displaced by the military regime.

Douglas Alexander: In 2007-08 the Department for International Development (DFID) contributed £770,000 to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) which provides food and other support to Burmese refugees in Thailand and to displaced people inside Burma. We are discussing DFID's contribution for 2008-09 with TBBC and Christian Aid, through which this funding is channelled. DFID also provides support from within Burma to people living in and near conflict and ceasefire areas in the border regions, many of whom have been displaced. In all, about 20 per cent. of DFID's regular programme of assistance for Burma (which is doubling from £9 million in 2007-09 to £18 million in 2010-11) benefits people in areas affected by conflict. The £17 million which DFID has pledged so far in emergency assistance following Cyclone Nargis is additional to the regular programme.

Burma: International Red Cross

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to persuade the Burmese junta to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross into areas of conflict in Eastern Burma.

Douglas Alexander: In November 2006 the UK Government made two ministerial statements strongly condemning the Burmese Government's decision to order the closure of the field offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross. These statements were transmitted to the Burmese Ministers of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Health, Labour, and National Economic Planning and Development. The Department for International Development (DFID) Office and British embassy in Rangoon continue to press the Burmese authorities to reverse their decision.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has made an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Three Diseases Fund for Burma.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) closely monitors the performance of the Three Diseases Fund and participated in the fund's first annual review meeting on 1-2 April 2008. This meeting reviewed the fund's overall performance and identified its achievements, areas where strengthening is required, and policy and programme priorities for the next year. The meeting was attended by 156 representatives of donors, United Nations agencies, international and local non-governmental organisations, and the Burmese Ministry of Health.
	Further details of the fund board's conclusions and recommendations from the meeting are set out in an aide-mémoire which is available on the Three Diseases Fund website:
	www.3dfund.org.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which organisations were the top 10 recipients of UK aid to Burma in 2007-08; and how much each received.

Douglas Alexander: The top 10 recipients of UK aid to Burma in 2007-08 were:
	
		
			   £ 
			 The Three Diseases Fund 3,900,000 
			 UNICEF Multi-donor education fund 1,000,000 
			 Save the Children Fund—Early Learning Opportunities Transition Initiative 899,922 
			 United Nations Development Programme—Human Development Initiative 755,435 
			 The Thailand Burma Border Consortium 670,662 
			 Health Unlimited, Primary Health Care 425,897 
			 United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator's Multi-donor Stakeholder Fund 400,000 
			 World Food Programme, Food Security 250,000 
			 Pyoe Pin 124,498 
			 HOPE International 118,446 
		
	
	A further £100,000 was allocated to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium during the financial year, and has been disbursed, but will be accounted for in 2008-09.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's aid budgets for Burma, excluding cyclone funding, are for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development's planned expenditure on Burma, excluding cyclone funding, is:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 12 
			 2009-10 15 
			 2010-11 18

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much British aid has reached internally displaced people in Karen state, Burma; and how many people have received such aid.

Douglas Alexander: In 2007-08, the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £400,000 for assistance to displaced people through community-based organisations inside Burma. This assistance reached around 106,000 displaced people, mostly in Karen communities, living near Burma's border with Thailand.
	In 2007, DFID agreed that its funding to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) could be used to support cross-border relief programmes for displaced people inside Burma as well as Burmese refugees in Thailand. TBBC estimates that its cross-border support reached 80,420 people in 2007. DFID has agreed to provide £1 million to TBBC for 2008-09, an increase of 30 per cent. over our total allocation for 2007-08.
	Other DFID programmes in education, health and livelihoods reach areas where displaced people live, including Karen communities. We do not, however, have specific figures on how much of this assistance is provided to displaced people.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the regime in Burma is allowing free and unrestricted access for aid workers in the Irrawaddy delta.

Douglas Alexander: Since the United Nations-ASEAN Conference in Rangoon on 25 May there has been some improvement in access. The Myanmar Red Cross has been able to scale up its operation in the Delta. Five international medical teams from countries in the region are now providing support and a DFID team travelled to the Irrawaddy Delta on 29 May.
	However, significant concerns remain. Restrictions have been placed on dates of travel, and requirements have been made that government liaison officers accompany relief staff. There are still too few relief workers based in the Delta.
	The Government's priority has been, and remains, to ensure that relief reaches those who need it most. Together with the UN, ASEAN and NGOs we are continuing to monitor the situation very closely.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department provided to Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, on the Thai-Burma border, in each of the last three years.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has recently approved funding of £100,000 for the Mae Tao Clinic for 2008-09. This money will be used for medicines, supplies and equipment critical for the clinic's medical work. This is the first DFID grant direct to the clinic.
	The Mae Tao Clinic has also received grants from the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), to which DFID contributes.

Burma: Storms

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether charities responding to the cyclone in Burma are required to have a Memorandum of Understanding with the regime in order to receive funding.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not limit its funding for cyclone response to charities that have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the regime. In the emergency response phase, we have given priority to international NGOs with existing capacity on the ground, particularly in areas worst affected by the cyclone, because experience has shown that these have been able to respond faster. However, we have also funded NGOs without MOUs where they have clear value to add.

Congo Basin Forest Fund

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects will be funded by the Congo Basin Forest Fund which will reduce emissions from deforestation.

Gareth Thomas: The Congo Basin Forest Fund will be launched on 17 June 2008. Governments, civil society and private sector organisations will be eligible to apply for funding once it has been launched. Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria: innovation, slowing deforestation, reducing poverty and conformance with the COMIFAC (Central Africa Commission for Forestry) Convergence Plan.
	In addition to the initial finance of £50 million contribution to the CBFF, the UK has allocated up to £8 million to fund start-up activities. We are currently considering options for funding, following scoping visits to the region. These will be assessed against the CBFF funding criteria.

Departmental Pay

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many and what proportion of employees in his Department who received a performance-related bonus at their last appraisal were  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) from an ethnic minority,  (d) disabled and  (e) not heterosexual; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Senior civil servants in the Department for International Development (DFID) have not been allocated any performance bonuses in recognition of their performance during the 2007-08 appraisal year. Decisions on bonuses will be made following receipt of the 2008 report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries.

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the environmental transformation fund will be allocated to steps aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries; and of this how much will be by  (a) grants,  (b) loans and  (c) via the World Bank multi-donor fund.

Gareth Thomas: The final allocations of the environmental transformation fund - international window (ETF-IW) have yet to be decided. Decisions about resource allocations (including for forestry) will be agreed by relevant ministers through an HMG Governance Board (which includes DEFRA, DFID and HMT).
	To date, £50 million of the ETF-IW has been committed to the Congo Basin Fund. We also expect the UK's £15 million contribution to the Forest Carbon Partnership Fund to be funded by the ETF-IW. This would all be in the form of grants, made through the World Bank administered multi-donor Climate Investment Funds.
	We are also supporting the establishment of a wider programme on forestry as part of these funds. This is still in the early stages of development, but progress on the design will be made towards the end of this year.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the World Bank on raising its level of support for renewable energy projects in the developing world.

Gareth Thomas: The World Bank Group in 2004 announced it would increase financial support for renewable energy and energy efficiency by an average of at least 20 per cent. a year between 2005 and 2009. This target has been exceeded, with commitments on renewable energy, excluding large hydropower, increasing from $192 million in 2004 to $421 million in 2007.
	In 2007, we asked the World Bank to increase its level of ambition. We have called for them to further develop and promote transitions to low carbon energy supplies, including by increased support for affordable, efficient and renewable energy. The World Bank's Clean Energy Investment Framework aims to expand access to modern energy and help countries take up low-carbon solutions to their energy needs. Increasing the use of renewable energy is part of these objectives and we will continue to encourage the World Bank to do more. We are supporting the World Bank in the implementation of the framework.

International Labour Organisation: Finance

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has provided to the International Labour Organisation to support its work on reducing labour exploitation of children and women in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: In 2007-08 the Department for International Development (DFID) provided £6.75 million to support the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) core programmes on social protection, forced labour, cooperatives and migration. The ILO has an action plan which aims to ensure that the interests of children and women are at the forefront of all their work. DFID is also providing £465,000 to help the ILO improve monitoring and evaluation of its work for children and women. This work began in January 2008.

Thailand Burma Border Consortium

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government have agreed to increase funding for the Thailand Burma Border Consortium in 2008-09.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has approved a grant of £1 million for the Thailand Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) for 2008-09. This funding is being channelled through Christian Aid. It represents a 30 per cent. increase over last year's total allocation of £770,000. This is in response to the rapid rise in the cost of rice this year, as well as last year's decision by DFID to allow TBBC to use our money for cross-border support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside Burma as well as for refugees in Thailand.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much was pledged at the Yemen donor's conference held in 2006 in London; and how much funding has been collected from those that pledged money at the conference;
	(2)  how many of the countries that pledged aid at the Yemen donor's conference held in 2006 in London have given all of the aid pledged;
	(3)  what steps the Government has taken to encourage countries and organisations that pledged aid to Yemen at the 2006 donor conference in London to provide it.

Shahid Malik: $4.746 billion was pledged at the Yemen Consultative Group (CG) meeting in 2006 of which $2.786 billion was in grant aid and $1960 million was in soft lending. Since then additional pledges have come in from France, Spain, the USA, Denmark and the Arab Fund taking combined 'CG pledges' to $5.312 billion.
	The Government of Yemen (GoY) has not published overall donor disbursement figures for the period since the Yemen CG meeting. The most complete and recent data shows donor disbursements of $292.18 million to Yemen for calendar year 2007. This does not cover all those donors who made pledges at the CG meeting notably Arab donors who made significant pledges. All donor funds pledged were multi-annual and spread over several years so we would not expect full disbursement at this stage.
	The UK continues to support GoY efforts to encourage donors to disburse their pledges against agreed timetables through our ongoing engagement in GoY-donor dialogue, for example, the twice yearly 'Consultative Group Stocktake Meetings'. The UK has played a particular role in encouraging greater dialogue between Arab donors and OECD donors to promote all donors to deliver their CG pledge commitments. We are supporting the Aid Harmonisation and Alignment (AHA) Unit within the Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation which leads on Consultative Group pledge follow-up within its broader mandate to promote greater aid effectiveness in Yemen.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the £117 million pledged by the Government in 2006 over a period of four years has been provided to Yemen.

Shahid Malik: To date the UK Government have provided bilateral aid totalling £11.99 million of the £117 million pledged in the 2006 donor conference. The balance will be provided over the three financial years 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what types of aid were provided by the Government to Yemen in  (a) the last year and  (b) the last 10 years.

Shahid Malik: We are currently unable to provide figures for UK aid types provided to Yemen in 2007-08, as these figures have not yet been published.
	Over the last 10 years the UK Government has provided the following aid types:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Technical co-operation  
			 1997-98 293,333 
			 1998-99 511,224 
			 1999-2000 565,331 
			 2000-01 251,359 
			 2001-02 6,263 
			 2002-03 40,487 
			 2003-04 46,490 
			 2004-05 770,358 
			 2005-06 747,165 
			 2006-07 874,982 
			 Total from 1997-98—2006-07 3,880,792 
			   
			  Other financial aid  
			 1997-98 358,164 
			 1998-99 302,330 
			 1999-2000 309,320 
			 2000-01 1,515,665 
			 2001-02 384,165 
			 2002-03 3,297,654 
			 2003-04 106,750 
			 2004-05 104,123 
			 2005-06 90,350 
			 2006-07 82,670 
			 Total from 1997-98—2006-07 10,779,069 
			   
			  Other bilateral aid  
			 1997-98 397,627 
			 1998-99 234,845 
			 1999-2000 611,744 
			 2000-01 963,740 
			 2001-02 2,191,733 
			 2002-03 2,102,922 
			 2003-04 3,721,092 
			 2004-05 4,430,196 
			 2005-06 10,658,258 
			 2006-07 7,441,013 
			 Total from 1997-98—2006-07 31,991,009 
			   
			  Humanitarian assistance  
			 1997-98 — 
			 1998-99 — 
			 1999-2000 — 
			 2000-01 — 
			 2001-02 — 
			 2002-03 — 
			 2003-04 — 
			 2004-05 6,708 
			 2005-06 4,285 
			 2006-07 — 
			 Total from 1997-98—2006-07 10,993 
			  Imputed multilateral share  
			 1997-98 4,884 
			 1998-99 4,531 
			 1999-2000 1,260 
			 2000-01 16,432 
			 2001-02 4,316 
			 2002-03 7,628 
			 2003-04 2,342 
			 2004-05 4,526 
			 2005-06 5,026 
			 2006-07 6,771 
			 Total from 1997-98—2006-07 57,716

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the increase in aid provided by the UK to Yemen has been since the 2006 Yemen donor's conference in London.

Shahid Malik: In 2006-07 the aid programme to Yemen was £8.31 million. Following the 2006 donor conference where we pledged £117 million over four years, the aid programme was increased to £11.99 million in 2007-08 and will continue to rise in the coming three years to meet our total commitment.

Yemen: Poverty

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of Yemen's ability to fulfil its poverty targets for 2008.

Shahid Malik: The Government of Yemen's third Socio-Economic Development Plan for Poverty Reduction (SEDPPR) 2006 to 2010 aims to reduce poverty rates to 19.5 per cent. by 2010. However it contains no specific targets for 2008. A mid point review of the SEDPPR is due to be completed by September 2008, and will show whether Yemen is on track to meet its 2010 targets.
	The UK helped to fund a poverty assessment based on a household budget survey which was undertaken in 2005-06 by the Government of Yemen, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme— UNDP. This assessment demonstrated that poverty rates have declined from 40.1 per cent. in 1998 to 34.8 per cent. in 2005. However recent World Bank figures estimate that these gains may have been fully reversed due to inflation and high food prices.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Official Hospitality

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2008,  Official Report, column 307W, on departmental official hospitality, what the  (a) cost and  (b) purpose was of each event held by his Department in 2007-08.

David Cairns: The nine events, objectives and expenditure are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Scotland Office Events 2007-08  Objective  Cost (£) 
			 Trooping the Colour Secretary of State's reception for Scottish MPs, Peers and others on the occasion of Her Majesty's official birthday parade 4,605.45 
			 Highland Year of Culture To celebrate and promote highland culture 2,465.80 
			 Edinburgh Festival Reception To celebrate Edinburgh's summer festivals 452.74 
			 Identities: Tales of the United Kingdom, Scottish Story Telling Centre Part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Union. This included sponsorship of the Storylab initiative based in Edinburgh. The expenditure included assistance with design, branding, printing, distribution and web design / support. 11,900.00 
			 English Speaking Union debate Part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Union. This was a school debate on the Treaty of Union and the reception that followed. 2,512.85 
			 Polish Cultural Reception To celebrate the role of the Polish community in Scotland 149.00 
			 Moderator's Lunch Annual lunch held in honour of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 4,030.31 
			 Thoresen Review Reception Otto Thoresen presented key points from the Thoresen Review of Generic Financial Advice 773.05 
			 Child Poverty roundtable Round table discussion and reception to discuss child poverty in Scotland and to raise awareness among stakeholders of the respective roles of the UK Government and the Scottish Executive in relation to poverty 1,830.75 
		
	
	These events continue to be popular with MPs of all parties with relevant Scottish constituencies taking the opportunity to engage with important stakeholders and groups in Scotland.

Food

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much food waste his Department generated in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has no in-house canteen or other catering facilities so therefore does not routinely generate food waste.

WALES

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2008,  Official Report, column 953W, on the Fairtrade initiative, what Fairtrade products are offered at his departmental meetings and engagements.

Paul Murphy: In line with my answer given on 5 February 2008, my Department has offered Fairtrade tea and coffee at departmental meetings and engagements.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Facilities

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what sports facilities are due to be constructed on the Olympic Park; what sports each will host during the 2012 Olympic Games; who the contractor and what the budget is for each; and what progress has been made on construction of each.

Tessa Jowell: There will be five permanent venues in the Olympic Park: the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Handball Arena, the VeloPark and Eton Manor.
	The Olympic Stadium is being constructed by Team McAlpine, a consortium made up of Sir Robert McAlpine, HOK Sport and Buro Happold, and the budget—as announced in October 2007—remains at the contract price £496 million. This venue will host all Olympic and Paralympic track and field events as well as being the finish point for the Marathon and the start and finish points for the Racewalk. Construction of the Olympic Stadium commenced in May 2008.
	The Aquatics Centre is being constructed by UK firm Balfour Beatty and the budget, as announced in April, is £242 million. The venue will host Olympic swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon swimming events and Paralympic swimming events. Planning permission has been granted for the Aquatics Centre. Balfour Beatty took possession of the site in June 2008 and construction work is on track to commence in the next two months.
	The Handball Arena will host handball events, as well as modern pentathlon fencing during the Olympic Games and goalball events during the Paralympic Games. The budget for the Handball Arena is in line with the overall venues budget already announced but further budget details cannot be released as sensitive commercial negotiations continue. The Olympic Delivery Authority expects to appoint a contractor for the Handball Arena in early 2009, ready for construction to start in the summer of 2009.
	The Eton Manor site will host the Paralympic archery and wheelchair tennis events programme and provide athletes training facilities during the Games. As a contractor is yet to be appointed, budget details for this venue cannot yet be released but it remains within the budget for venues already announced. Stanton Williams were awarded the contract to design the venue in April 2008 and construction is due to begin in early 2010.
	The VeloPark, of which the Velodrome is the main component, will host the Olympic and Paralympic indoor track cycling events and the adjacent BMX circuit will host the BMX events. The budget for the VeloPark is £80 million. A consortium made up of Hopkins Architects, Expedition Engineering, BDSP and Grant Associates has been chosen to design the VeloPark and construction is due to begin in 2009. The contract for the Velodrome was awarded to ISG InteriorExterior in May 2008.
	A number of sports, including basketball, waterpolo, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, will take place in temporary venues on the Olympic Park. The budgets for these facilities are included in the venues budget as announced at the end of 2007 and building contractors have yet to be appointed.
	LOCOG '-London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games-' have responsibility for the construction of a temporary hockey centre on the Olympic Park that will host hockey and paralympic football competitions.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when  (a) he,  (b) his predecessors and  (c) other Ministers from his Department last met a representative from each of his Department's non-departmental public bodies.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 2 June 2008
	The information requested could be answered only at disproportionate cost. However, within a fortnight of my appointment as Secretary of State, I, together with my ministerial team hosted a breakfast seminar to which representatives from all of the Department's non-departmental public bodies were invited. In addition, since I have been Secretary of State, Ministers from this Department have met with representatives from the majority of our non-departmental public bodies and hope to meet with the remainder in the near future.

English Language: Hospitality Industry

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will hold discussions with the hospitality industry on minimum standards of spoken English among its employees.

Margaret Hodge: My Department is working with People 1st, the Sector Skills Council, and the British Hospitality Association to improve the skills and qualifications levels of managers, chefs and those involved in customer service through the implementation of the National Skills Strategy for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism. This includes looking at English language requirements where necessary to improve communication and customer service skills. We are also examining the barriers to training, including qualifications reform. I chair the Monitoring and Implementation (M&I) Group for this strategy, and the hospitality industry is represented on that body. Our work will be informed by research undertaken by People lst into English language requirements which will be completed later this year.

Tourism

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the productivity rate in the tourism industry was in each year since 2002.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 5 June 2008
	Productivity data for the tourism and leisure industry is estimated from the Annual Business Inquiry, run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
	The table shows the annual percentage productivity changes in the tourism and leisure industry from 2002 onwards.
	
		
			  Annual percentage productivity changes 2002 - 06 
			  Tourism and Leisure Industry  Percentage 
			 2002 3.3 
			 2003 -0.1 
			 2004 1.9 
			 2005 0.4 
			 2006(1) 3.1 
			 (1) 2006 figures are provisional with the final figures being published in June 2008.  Source:  Department for Culture, Media and Sport using data from the Annual Business Inquiry (ONS). 
		
	
	For full details on how the PSA '-public service agreement-' is measured, see the technical note 2005 to 2008 PSA Technical note (Revised) on the DCMS website
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/3587.aspx.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Early-Day Motions: Internet

Lynne Jones: To ask the Leader of the House for what reasons it is not possible for hon. Members to e-table early-day motions.

Helen Goodman: This matter was considered by the Procedure Committee in its first report of session 2006-07 (HC 513) on public petitions and early day motions (paragraphs 93-96). Given the formal nature of an early-day motion and concerns about authentication of electronic tabling, the Committee considered that Members were not unduly constrained by present procedures for tabling and signing EDMs in this respect. They concluded that they could not recommend the introduction of e-tabling for EDMs. The House endorsed this approach in its debate on the Committee's Report on 25 October 2007.

Intelligence and Security Committee: Public Appointments

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Leader of the House if she will hold discussions with the Prime Minister to bring forward proposals to ensure that future appointments to the Intelligence and Security Committee are decided by the House.

Helen Goodman: I have nothing further to add to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's answer of 25 March 2008,  Official Report, column 88W, in which he stated that the Governance of Britain White Paper (cm 7342) includes proposals to enable Parliament to play a fuller role in the appointment of members to the Intelligence and Security Committee.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Carbon Emissions: Advisory Services

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has allocated to the Energy Saving Trust to fund activities as part of the Act on CO2 advice line.

Phil Woolas: Government will be providing over £100 million in the next three years to the Energy Saving Trust to develop a proactive green homes service, based on the Act on CO2 advice line and a regional network of one stop shops. In this year alone, DEFRA is providing the Energy Saving Trust with £35.2 million, £24.5 million of which will be specifically for the Act on CO2 advice line and the roll out of the regional advice centres.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amount of verified emissions of carbon dioxide in tonnes there was from EU Emissions Trading Scheme installations in each sector in the UK in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 June 2008
	The following table gives details of the sector level results against allocations for the UK in each of the last three years. We will provide analysis of the results in more depth and information on the results across the EU. Further information on EU ETS results can be found at the European Environment Agency website using their Community Independent Transaction Log (CITL) viewer.
	DEFRA cautions against a simplistic analysis of this table.
	
		
			   2005  2006  2007 
			  Sector  Allocation  Emissions  Allocation  Emissions  Allocation  Emissions 
			 Power stations 135.7 172.2 135.6 181.5 136.0 177.9 
			 Iron and steel 21.3 18.8 23.3 20.2 23.4 20.8 
			 Refineries 19.6 18.1 19.6 17.7 19.6 17.8 
			 Offshore 12.1 10.8 12.4 10.2 18.9 14.8 
			 Chemicals 8.2 6.7 8.1 6.4 8.3 6.2 
			 Cement 5.9 5.1 5.7 5.1 9.1 8.0 
			 Non-ferrous metals 3.0 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0 2.7 
			 Services 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.1 1.9 
			 Other oil and gas 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.4 2.0 1.2 
			 Food, drink and tobacco 1.6 1.3 1.5 1.2 2.4 1.9 
			 Lime 1.1 0.8 1.1 0.7 1.1 0.8 
			 Pulp and paper 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.7 
			 Engineering and vehicles 1.1 0.7 1.1 0.6 1.0 0.7 
			 Glass 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 
			 Other 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 
			 Ceramics 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1

Floods: Housing

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Vale of York of 26 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1519-20W, on floods: housing, what progress has been made on the Environment Agency's flood defence schemes announced in the 2005 medium term plan with a construction start in 2006-07 and with a construction spend in 2006-07 of greater than £250,000; and what the status of each scheme is.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 6 June 2008
	I have asked the chief executive of the Environment Agency to write with a reply.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on charging households for waste disposal.

Joan Ruddock: Under the powers included in the Climate Change Bill, up to five local authorities in England will be granted permission to pilot incentive schemes for people to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
	The councils will be able to come forward with schemes to fit local circumstances, but they must be approved by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and follow clear guidelines set out in legislation—including having checks and balances in place for residents. As part of these schemes, those throwing away the least would receive a rebate and those throwing away the most could pay more. Local authorities will have to pay back to residents overall any money they collect from them as part of the pilots.
	The schemes will then be reviewed to ascertain their success and a report made to Parliament before a decision is made on whether they can be introduced more widely.

PRIME MINISTER

Abortion: Northern Ireland

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received since June 2007 from the leaders of political parties in Northern Ireland  (a) supporting and (b) opposing the extension of the Abortion Act 1967 to Northern Ireland; what response was given to those representations; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The views of the leaders of the political parties in Northern Ireland are a matter for them. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for North Antrim (Rev. Ian Paisley) at Prime Minister's Questions on 26 March 2008,  Official Report, column 183.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Stringer: To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to reply to the letter of 31 March 2008 from the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley on the Barnett Formula.

Gordon Brown: I have replied to my hon. Friend.

Vice Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister what the Ministerial duties and responsibilities of the Vice- Chamberlain of Her Majesty's Household are.

Gordon Brown: I refer my hon. Friend to the House of Commons Standard Note: SN/PC/2829. Copies are available on the Parliament website and in the Library of the House.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Responsibilities

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 6 May 2008,  Official Report, column 806W, on departmental responsibilities, when the Government plan to issue a formal response to the consultation on the equality Bill's proposals.

Barbara Follett: The Government have been developing policy in light of the responses to consultation on the equality Bill's proposals. A formal response to the consultation will be issued as soon as policy proposals have been finalised and agreed.

Discrimination

David Drew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what plans she has to eradicate multiple discrimination.

Barbara Follett: Views on multiple discrimination were received in response to the Government's consultation on proposals for the equality Bill. These are currently being considered and will be included in the Government's response to the consultation which will be issued in due course.

Equal Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer of 13 September 2004,  Official Report, columns 1022-23W, on the Department of Trade and Industry, what progress has been made in meeting the Government's target for 45 per cent. of large organisations to undertake pay reviews by April 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: In 2005 the Equal Opportunities Commission found that 34 per cent. of large employers had carried out equal pay reviews. Its successor body, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has recently commissioned a similar survey the findings of which will enable the Government Equalities Office to assess progress towards he 45 per cent. target. Closing the pay gap is a high priority for this Government and is one of the indicators in the new Equality Public Service Agreement (PSA 15).

Equality: Greater London

Theresa May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government Equalities Office has taken with the Office of the Mayor of London to address equality issues concerning London.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) works with the Office of the Mayor of London, other local authorities and the Government Office Network on a range of equality matters. For example, the GEO held a number of meetings with the Greater London Authority as part of the Equality Bill consultation process and the Minister for Women and Equality spoke to them about 'Women in London's Economy' on 28 February 2008.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefits: Expenditure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much his Department paid in housing benefit to  (a) working age households and  (b) working age households in receipt of out-of-work benefits in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) constituency, (ii) local authority and (iii) Government Office region;
	(2)  how much his Department paid in council tax benefit to  (a) working age households and  (b) working age households in receipt of out-of-work benefits in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) constituency, (ii) local authority and (iii) Government Office region;
	(3)  how much his Department paid in out-of-work benefits plus housing benefit and council tax benefit to working age households in receipt of out-of-work benefits in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) parliamentary constituency,  (b) local authority and  (c) Government Office region.

James Plaskitt: The information is not currently available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed by the Child Support Agency was in the last period for which figures are available. [Official Report, 30 June 2008, Vol. 478, c. 5MC.]

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Susan Park, dated 9 June 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As the Chief Executive is currently on annual leave, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a repayment schedule agreed with the Child Support Agency is.
	Robust information on the length of arrears repayment schedules is not held centrally and to obtain it would involve additional examination of all relevant cases. The information required to answer this question cannot therefore be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Agency has introduced tougher enforcement measures through its Operational Improvement Plan, launched in April 2006. If the Agency cannot secure immediate repayment in full from the non-resident parent, it aims to reach agreements that will see arrears paid back within two years wherever possible.
	The Agency collected or arranged more than £1 billion in maintenance in the twelve months to March 2008, of which £126m was arrears. This is almost twice the £68 million of arrears collected in the year to March 2006 before the full introduction of the Operational Improvement Plan.

Council Tax Benefits

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to increase the uptake of council tax benefit.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 19 May 2008
	Our priority is to increase take-up of council tax benefit (CTB) by pensioners.
	People applying for pension credit by telephone can access CTB (and housing benefit) at the same time, using a shortened three-page claim form which is completed for them during the phone call. Customers only have to provide information once. The income and savings information supplied for the pension credit application is used for the CTB claim.
	From October 2008, we will dispense with even the short claim form for claims made in this way. The Pension, Disability and Carers Service will collect the CTB claim information and pass it direct to the local authority for assessment.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has also run promotional campaigns in each of the last five years to increase awareness of CTB. In March 2008, regional press advertising was used to promote uptake of CTB, with greater focus in areas where our data suggests take up may be low. We also provided marketing materials promoting CTB to local authorities to be included in council tax bills.

Income Support: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming income support with disability premium.

Mike O'Brien: The number of income support claimants with a disability premium as at November 2007, the latest period for which figures are available, is 1,107,830.
	 Note:
	Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and some additional disclosure control has also been applied.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS

Jobcentre Plus: Closures

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which local authorities have been consulted on proposed Jobcentre Plus closures.

Stephen Timms: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 9 June 2008:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which Local Authorities have been consulted on proposed Jobcentre Plus office closures. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus has undergone significant transformation over the last 5 years. During this transformation our approach to closure of a customer-facing Jobcentre Plus office has been to take into account, for example, the impact closure may have on customer service, whether the work and staff can be relocated and what the savings might be in relation to the costs of closure. Consultation with local stakeholders is an integral part of the planning process and we are committed to full consultation with our customers, partner organisations, Local Authorities, Trade Unions and staff, and local Members of Parliament in advance of implementing site closures.
	I attach a list of Jobcentre Plus offices that received ministerial approval for closure following consultation and a copy has been placed in the Library. The list includes the relevant Local Authorities consulted.
	I am also gathering information on offices that are either currently undergoing consultation on proposed closure or have recently completed a closure consultation exercise and will send you a further response with these details by the end of May 2008. These details will also be placed in the Library.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to the letter of 30 April from the hon. Member for Walsall North regarding a constituent and the Child Support Agency.

Mike O'Brien: I replied to my hon. Friend on 6 June 2008.

Remploy

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much revenue was  (a) generated by Remploy from the sale of goods and services and  (b) generated by sales from each Remploy factory, in each of the company's last 10 financial years.

Anne McGuire: The revenue generated by Remploy sales does not take account of the grant in aid provided by sponsoring Government Departments that is required to support operations running at a loss.
	This grant in aid information is not available broken down by factory, but is included in the summary table for annual performance.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Revenue generated by Remploy from the sale of goods and services (annual turnover)  Grant in aid paid to Remploy by sponsoring Government Departments 
			 1997-1998 158,206,000 94,161,000 
			 1998-1999 175,292,000 94,161,000 
			 1999-2000 165,448,000 95,661,000 
			 2000-2001 154,544,000 100,661,000 
			 2001-2002 150,830,000 100,061,000 
			 2002-2003 157,958,000 119,162,000 
			 2003-2004 160,545,000 115,000,000 
			 2004-2005 165,307,000 116,000,000 
			 2005-2006 165,619,000 119,300,000 
			 2006-2007 155,702,000 133,800,000 
			 Source: Remploy annual report and accounts 
		
	
	
		
			  Revenue generated by sales from each Remploy factory 
			  £000 
			   2003-2004  2004-2005  2005-2006  2006-2007 
			 Wisbech n/a 58 67 52 
			 Birmingham 18,251 16,674 17,517 18,303 
			 Barrow 352 389 394 522 
			 Edinburgh 536 611 831 689 
			 Aberdeen 102 111 197 221 
			 Sunderland 1,695 1,866 1,535 1,941 
			 Spennymoor 410 141 397 504 
			 Hartlepool 247 289 285 441 
			 Holloway 204 258 185 179 
			 Norwich 3,524 3,374 3,388 3,772 
			 North Staffs 10,037 12,792 9,420 11,986 
			 Acton 2,057 2,793 1,540 1,275 
			 Medway 594 733 630 1,326 
			 Leatherhead 170 106 181 145 
			 Portsmouth 568 627 621 1,416 
			 Bridgend 1,584 1,584 3,204 6,671 
			 Bristol 512 325 639 618 
			 Forth 3,350 2,693 808 1,493 
			 Croespenmaen 1,437 1,338 1,195 1,309 
			 Wigan 144 148 191 220 
			 Burnley 1,594 1,453 1,545 2,098 
			 Preston 161 649 1,340 1,899 
			 Lanarkshire 428 401 393 360 
			 Bradford 91 129 108 98 
			 Gateshead 187 207 261 245 
			 Pontefract 816 424 476 702 
			 Oldham 631 429 3,364 5,120 
			 Brixton 253 158 205 229 
			 Coventry 21,176 17,091 16,088 13,908 
			 Barking 1,727 1,646 1,394 1,583 
			 Southend 57 98 168 135 
			 Southampton 288 751 1031 404 
			 Abertillery 1,427 1,898 1,355 932 
			 Lydney 95 100 9?L 99 
			 Hull 454 663 323 350 
			 Penzance n/a n/a 235 296 
			 Leeds 2,034 2,033 1,986 1,714 
			 Stockport 705 861 780 496 
			 Radcliffe 4,121 2,,028 216 415 
			 Worksop n/a 174 225 209 
			 Leicester 145 181 176 243 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 2,213 1,429 1,210 559 
			 Chesterfield 1,694 1,148 896 934 
			 Derby n/a n/a 1,450 976 
			 Mansfield 156 148 231 125 
			 Jarrow n/a n/a 655 379 
			 Newcastle-on-Tyne 1,182 1,232 1,160 1,226 
			 Halifax 549 495 484 313 
			 Stockton 297 240 144 n/a 
			 Ashington 2158 693 846 896 
			 Huddersfield n/a n/a 2,540 1,792 
			 Aintree 5,417 4,457 207 161 
			 St. Helens (old) 2,452 1,469 424 0 
			 Manchester 808 900 813 924 
			 Birkenhead 1,216 2,342 1,984 1,573 
			 Bolton 1,013 1,367 1,154 1,495 
			 Springburn 1,218 970 952 1,015 
			 Hillington 133 114 84 83 
			 Woolwich 79 112 183 191 
			 Aberdare 2,079 1,137 641 661 
			 Redruth n/a n/a 385 304 
			 St. Helens (new) 0 2,576 10,777 9,308 
			  
			 Furniture factories(1) 19,484 20,910 21,628 18,767 
			 Textile factories(1) 19,627 25,413 25,850 12,442 
			 (1) Sales not individually identified.  Notes: 1. Remploy does not have records of sales by site prior to 2003-04, when its central accounting system was introduced. 2. The textiles and furniture businesses are integrated businesses where materials are moved from site to site for processing and, therefore, for these factories sales are not ascribed to individual sites. Remploy have advised that in many cases high sales income is accompanied by high material costs. Therefore sales is not a good guide to the quality of the work on a site or to the profitability of that site.  Source: Remploy

Social Security Benefits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what range of earnings disregards apply to each category of customer for each income-related benefit.

James Plaskitt: There is a range of earnings disregards across the income-related benefits. The following weekly amounts of earnings are disregarded in the circumstances shown in income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Single people who do not satisfy the vulnerable or specialist group criteria 5.00 
			 Couples who do not satisfy the vulnerable or specialist group criteria 10.00 
			 Vulnerable groups(1) 20.00 
			 Specialist groups(2) 20.00 
			 Lone parents in housing benefit and council tax benefit 25.00 
			 Certain people on housing benefit and council tax benefit in remunerative work(3) 16.05 
			 (1) Vulnerable groups are defined as lone parents, disabled or carers. Additionally people aged 60 or over in income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance; and people in receipt of the higher pensioner premium or pensioner premium for those aged 75 or over in housing benefit and council tax benefit. This £20 disregard may be carried over to a subsequent pension credit claim provided the necessary conditions are met.  (2) Specialist groups are defined as part-time firefighters, members of the territorial or reserve force, lifeboat crew and some coastguards.  (3) Applies if the claimant or their partner is aged 25 or over and engaged in remunerative work averaging not less than 30 hours per week; or the claimant has responsibility for a child or a qualifying young person (and as a result is entitled to the family premium) and the claimant or their partner is engaged in remunerative work for 16 or more hours per week; or the claimant or their partner qualifies for the disability premium or the higher pensioner premium and that same person is engaged in remunerative work for 16 or more hours per week; or the claimant or their partner receives the 30 hour element within working tax credit; or the claimant or their partner receives the 50-plus element within working tax credit, or would receive it if they were to apply for working tax credit. 
		
	
	In carer's allowance, carers can undertake some work if they are able to do so. A carer may have earnings of up to £95 a week and retain entitlement to carer's allowance. This amount is calculated net of expenses such as income tax, national insurance contributions, half of any contribution towards an occupational or personal pension and help towards the cost of care for a child or the disabled person while the carer is at work.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Council Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were owned by each local authority in each year since 1997; what each authority's  (a) rental income,  (b) capital receipts,  (c) management and maintenance allowance and  (d) major repairs allowance was in each of those years; and if she will provide projections for each of those figures for the next 30 years using the assumptions adopted by her Department's self-financing of council housing services modelling exercise.

Iain Wright: Tables showing the available data for each local authority currently holding housing stock for  (a), (c) and  (d) for the years 1997-98 onwards have been placed in the Library of the House. Consistent data for  (b) are not available by individual local authority for the period requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	Communities and Local Government does not have figures for the categories requested projected over the next 30 years for each local authority. The evidence for the self-financing modelling exercise, including for capital receipts, was produced by the six local authorities involved. We would need to go out to all local authorities to ask them to provide similar projections, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Valuation

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 534W, on council tax valuation, how many homes revalued for council tax in each region in the UK in each year since 1997 resulted in  (a) revaluation to (i) a higher band and (ii) a lower band and  (b) staying in the same band.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 25 April 2008,  Official Report, column 2305W.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 17W, on the Fairtrade initiative, 
	(1)  what Fairtrade products are available for purchase at her Department's staff catering facilities and  (b) offered at official departmental meetings and engagements;
	(2)  what the value was of Fairtrade products purchased at her Department's staff catering facilities in each of the last three financial years; and what proportion of total revenue this represented.

Parmjit Dhanda: Fairtrade teas, sugars and a selection of cookies, chocolate bars and flapjacks are available from CLG's HQ staff catering facilities. In addition Fairtrade teas are available from vending machines.
	In relation to refreshments for official meetings, Fairtrade teas, coffee and sugars are available.
	Sales of Fairtrade products are not separately identified from non-Fairtrade products and therefore the value of Fairtrade sales is not available.

Green Belt

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 12 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1393W, on the green belt, if she will list each of the specific special circumstances in which development is permitted on green belt designated land, according to planning guidance and regulations.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Guidance Note 2, "Green Belts", requires decision-makers to satisfy themselves that any harm from inappropriate development proposed in green belt would be clearly outweighed by the benefits. Once that is shown, an additional test is applied, to which the hon. Member refers. Guidance requires the decision-maker in a case to judge whether the planning applicant has successfully argued that "very special circumstances" would justify an exceptional grant of planning permission in green belt.
	The courts have directed that the words "very special circumstances" be given their ordinary and natural meaning, and it is for each applicant to demonstrate their existence to the local planning authority in relation to the individual circumstances of their case. As an example, the courts have held that the personal circumstances of the applicant or their family such as the educational needs of children may contribute to "very special circumstances". However, given that each case must be judged on its merits, it follows that there could never be a definitive list of what might qualify.

Housing: Birmingham

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was made available to Birmingham City Council for expenditure on housing stock in  (a) 1979,  (b) 1981,  (c) 1989,  (d) 1991,  (e) 1997,  (f) 1999,  (g) 2001,  (h) 2005 and  (i) 2007, expressed in current prices and broken down by category; and what allocation has been made for 2008.

Iain Wright: Data prior to 1991 are not available and specific data for the years 1991-96 inclusive could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows management and maintenance allowances per council dwelling for each year (prior to 1999-2000 the allowances were calculated as a single amount), and the major repairs allowance (MRA) from its introduction in 2001-02, multiplied by the council's housing stock for the relevant period. These allowances are made as part of the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy programme.
	
		
			   Management (a)  Maintenance (b)  Management and maintenance (a+b)  Major repairs allowance (d)  Assumed stock (e)  Total allowances (c+d) x (e)  Borrowing approval for capital investment in housing( 1) 
			 1997-98 n/a n/a 1,198 — 95,085 113,875,965 — 
			 1999-2000 390 808 1,198 — 92,535 110,864,697 20,098,418 
			 2001-02 389 850 1,239 590 87,571 160,149,760 30,536,448 
			 2005-06 553 891 1,445 584 73,009 148,091,348 18,508,278 
			 2007-08 601 929 1,530 572 68,283 143,532,538 10,366,102 
			 2008-09 605 932 1,537 577 66,911 141,451,687 10,063,940 
			 (1 )This is the amount of borrowing the Government would provide support for. Up until and including 2001-02 this figure is the part of the BCA (Basic Credit Approvals) supported through the HRA subsidy system. From 2005-06 onwards the figure is that part of SCE(R) (Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue)) supported within the HRA Subsidy System. 
		
	
	The table also includes figures for housing-related allocations for capital investment. This gives the council approval to borrow up to the sum specified.
	All prices are shown calculated to 2006-07 cash equivalents using the latest available GDP deflator provided by HM Treasury. The figures for 2007-2008 and later are based upon forecasts of the GDP deflator.

Housing: Construction

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent guidance her Department has issued to local authorities in London on designating land for the building of new homes.

Iain Wright: National planning policy for housing is set out in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) Housing, published November 2006, which includes a section entitled "Delivering a flexible supply of land for housing" (paragraphs 52 to 61). Supporting guidance, Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment: Practice Guidance, published in July 2007, sets out how to put in place evidence on land availability for housing.
	Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning (PPS12), published June 2008, sets out how local planning authorities should prepare local development documents. In relation to housing, this includes ensuring that the necessary land is available at the right time and in the right place to deliver new housing.

Housing: Low Incomes

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the capital value of  (a) housing association and  (b) council housing stock in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: It is not possible for the Department to provide comparable figures on stock asset values for both local authorities and housing associations from published accounts. The following figures are displayed separately as a result.
	The Department collects figures on the capital assets of local authority (LA) housing stock in England through the Capital Outturn Return (COR). These are published in the Local Government Financial Statistics volume:
	
		
			  Table 1: Value of local authority fixed assets, all council dwellings 
			   £ million 
			 1998 — 
			 1999 59,504 
			 2000 60,094 
			 2001 67,203 
			 2002 75,576 
			 2003 86,334 
			 2004 97,979 
			 2005 106,983 
			 2006 98,518 
			  Notes: 1. LA stock valued at Existing Use Value—Social Housing (EUV-SH), a statutory requirement as at 1 April 2000.  2. Figures as at 31 March each year.  3. 1998 laid down in the Library of the House of Commons. Not available on the web.   Source:  Communities and Local Government, Local Government Financial Statistics. 
		
	
	All figures supplied in table 1 are at current value for the year of reporting.
	The Global Accounts of Housing Associations, published by the Housing Corporation (the regulator of housing associations in England) provides figures for registered social landlords:
	
		
			  Table 2: Value of housing association fixed assets 
			  £ million 
			   2005  2006  2007 
			 Housing properties at original cost(1) 50,445 54,835 60,251 
			 Housing properties at current value(2) 13,711 15,460 17,175 
			 (1) The original cost of houses when they were built/purchased.  (2) A minority of properties re-valued each year on EUV-SH basis.   Notes:  1. Cost and valuation figures are separate measurements based on different parts of the whole stock—they cannot be added together to obtain a picture of the whole stock.  2. 2007 global accounts differ from predecessors as returns are based on associations >1,000 homes. Between 2004 and 2006 associations with >250 homes were included for reporting purposes. The 2005 and 2006 figures above are based on associations with >1,000 dwellings to allow for comparison.   Source:  Housing Corporation—Global Accounts of Housing Associations. 
		
	
	'Housing properties at original cost' will include many homes where the cost recorded is considerably out of date. These figures will therefore be depressed and represent properties that are now significantly undervalued.
	'Housing properties at current value' denotes properties valued on a five-yearly basis with a review at year three. Valuations in the other years should be done where there is likely to be a material change in valuation. Re-valuation is an expensive exercise and only a minority of associations hold their assets at valuation. In most cases this is the value on a discounted cash flow basis using net rental income over a specified period. This can also undervalue properties compared to open market sales values.
	RSLs have a choice between valuing their properties or stating them at historic cost. RSLs in preparing their accounts comply with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) issued by the three national housing federations (England, Wales and Scotland) and franked by the Accounting Standards Board. The SORP authorises that associations can use either method of stating the value of their houses and is neutral as to which they should use.
	Information for 1999-2000 to 2003-04 can be obtained from the Global Accounts of Housing Associations which are available on the Housing Corporation's website:
	www.housingcorp.gov.uk

Housing: Low Incomes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her definition of an affordable home in London is; and what the definition was in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: A new definition of affordable housing appears in Planning Policy Statement 3—Housing which was published in November 2006. The definition states that:
	"Affordable housing includes social rented and intermediate housing, provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. Affordable housing should:
	Meet the needs of eligible households including availability at a cost low enough for them to afford, determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices.
	Include provision for the home to remain at an affordable price for future eligible households or, if these restrictions are lifted, for the subsidy to be recycled for alternative housing provision."
	Local planning authorities are required to use this definition when preparing plan policies and determining planning applications for housing .
	This excludes 'low cost market' housing—for example, homes which do not remain affordable on resale.
	The new definition was adopted because Government wished to ensure that developer contributions are used to help provide genuinely affordable housing for households in need over the long term.
	The London Plan definition (consolidated with alterations since 2004) published in February 2008 is consistent with national policy in Planning Policy Statement 3.

Housing: Regeneration

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has advised housing market renewal pathfinders to accept the guidance on consultation on renewal or regeneration areas in the recent National Audit Office report on pathfinders.

Iain Wright: The Government are awaiting the publication of the report on the Housing Market Renewal programme by the Public Accounts Committee, following its hearing on 19 November 2007. Once they have reviewed the PAC recommendations, the Government will consider what advice they will issue to pathfinders.

Public Places: Smoking

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on limitations on where people can smoke in open public spaces, with particular reference to the gardens of public houses.

Parmjit Dhanda: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such discussions.

Wind Power: Housing Market

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of the siting of wind turbines on the market price of houses within sight of the turbines; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government has not made an assessment of the effect the siting of wind turbines has had on the price of houses within sight of the turbines.

TRANSPORT

Bournemouth Airport: Noise

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent noise assessments have been made of Bournemouth International Airport; and how she expects noise levels to change when the airport expands.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State publishes annual aircraft noise contour maps for the three London airports (Heathrow Gatwick and Stansted) which are designated under section 80 for the purposes of section 78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 for noise control purposes.
	The Secretary of State is not responsible for the production of noise contour maps at non-designated airports such as Bournemouth International Airport. The publication of aircraft noise contour maps is a matter for local decision.
	Under the European environmental noise directive (END) 2002/49/EC, member states are required to produce strategic noise maps every five years for the main sources of environmental noise, including major airports with more than 50,000 movements (a movement being a take-off or landing) per year. The relevant UK airports including Bournemouth International Airport produced maps last year. The maps can be viewed on DEFRA's website (noisemappinq@defra.gov.uk).
	The next stage of implementation of the directive requires airports to produce noise action plans during the course of this year. Under the terms of the directive, the airport is required to consult the local community in the preparation of the plan. It is expected that this will primarily be through engagement with the local airport consultative committee.

Departmental Pay

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what proportion of employees in her Department who received a performance-related bonus at their last appraisal were  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) from an ethnic minority,  (d) disabled and  (e) not heterosexual; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport are currently in the process of conducting performance management reviews and allocating any applicable bonuses. This process is likely to come to a conclusion in late July 2008.

Electrification

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her most recent estimate is of the percentage of the rail network that has been electrified.

Tom Harris: 39 per cent. of the network is electrified.

Food

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much food waste her Department generated in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Within the Department, on-site catering services are available only at the Department's main HQ in London, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sites in Swansea, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) residential training facility in Bedfordshire and at the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) HQ in Bristol.
	The requested information is not recorded at our London HQ nor is it recorded at the VOSA HQ in Bristol.
	The DVLA estimates that total food purchases in 2008-09 will generate 0.7 per cent. of waste. This figure accounts only for wastage during the food preparation and service; it does not include any customer generated wastage.
	The DSA estimates that the residential training centre in Bedfordshire produces 1200kg of food wastage on an annual basis.

Lorries

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of domestic heavy-goods vehicle trade was accounted for by non-UK registered and operated vehicles in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Data for the last 12 months are not available. The latest available data, published by Eurostat for 2006, show that 1.1 per cent. of domestic road freight activity was transported by non-UK registered vehicles.

M25: Repairs and Maintenance

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will take steps to ensure the maintenance scheme on the drainage system on the M25 between junctions 8 and 9 close to Walton on the Hill includes provision to replace the concrete surface with a quieter surface.

Tom Harris: Generally, the concrete carriageway on the M25 between junctions 8 and 9 close to Walton on the Hill is in good condition and will not require resurfacing for maintenance needs within the period of the Highways Agency's current five-year forward programme.
	The proposed drainage scheme on this section of the M25 is in the Highways Agency's current five-year forward programme. The timing of the scheme will be reviewed against competing priorities for funding as part of the Highways Agency's value management process.
	Therefore the drainage scheme will not include provision to replace the concrete surface with a quieter surface. However, when the carriageway does need to be resurfaced, a quieter surfacing will be used as a matter of course.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars in Worcestershire have been registered in bands F and G since  (a) 1 March 2001 and  (b) 23 March 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of licensed cars registered in Worcestershire at the end of 2007 with carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the present Band F (186 to 225 g/km) and Band G (over 225 g/km) were as follows:
	
		
			   186 to 225 g/km  Over 225 g/km 
			 Registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 December 2007 29,334 16,093 
			 Registered between 23 March 2006 and 31 December 2007 7,074 3,178 
		
	
	Cars with carbon dioxide emissions greater than 225 g/km are taxed in Band F if they were first registered between 1 March 2001 and 23 March 2006.

Motor Vehicles: Safety

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans she has to introduce legislative proposals to make daytime running lamps compulsory for all motor vehicles; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A directive requiring daytime running lamps on new types of vehicle from early 2011 was recently adopted by European member states.
	The directive will require that from early 2011 new types of passenger car/light van are fitted with low-wattage dedicated daylight running lamps (DRL). These will automatically activate when the engine is started. By summer 2012, buses and large/heavy vehicles will also have to be fitted. This will apply to new vehicle types, not to existing vehicles or new vehicles built under existing approvals.
	The Government have no plans to introduce additional legislation on this matter.

Public Transport

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to the Answer from Lord Bassam of Brighton on 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 26-8WA, on transport: tram trains, where and when the second phase of the trial will be held.

Tom Harris: The first phase of the tram train trial will start in 2010 and it will take two years to test the technical and operational feasibility of tram train and gather the necessary data to understand the costs and benefits. Subject to successful completion of the first phase there is an option for a second phase to use the Sheffield Supertram network to see what additional benefits the vehicles can deliver when extended onto city centre tram lines.

Railways: Fares

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of a standard rail fare was from Cardiff to Bangor in each of the last 12 years.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold information for every year of the last 12. The Office of Rail Regulation publishes a summary of key fares data in its National Rail Trends publication, available from the ORR website:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk.
	However, within the manuals and systems to which we have access we can say that the saver return from Cardiff to Bangor (without restriction on time of travel) was 63.10 in 1996, and 68 in 2008. This is a considerable saving in real terms.

Railways: Fares

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  on how many occasions she has  (a) held discussions with a train operating company in respect of the operation of their penalty fare scheme and  (b) withdrawn permission for a train operating company penalty fare scheme;
	(2)  what arrangements she has made for monitoring the operation of penalty fare schemes.

Tom Harris: Any operator with an Approved Penalty Fares Scheme is obliged to supply the Secretary of State with
	any information which is necessary for penalty fares to be charged fairly, efficiently and in line with the Regulations and rules.
	The Department for Transport has regular contacts with all the train operators who have Approved Penalty Fares Schemes, and with the Approved Penalty Appeals Services providers.
	It has not been necessary to use the powers provided for in line with section 130 of the 1993 Railways Act, and regulation 11 of the Railways (Penalty Fare) Regulations 1994, Section 10 of the 2002 Penalty Fares Rules to formally prevent any scheme operator either partially or fully from charging penalty fares.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what mechanisms her Department uses to determine the duration of rail franchises;
	(2)  what recent representations she has received from the rail industry on the optimum duration of franchises;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the optimum duration of rail franchises; and what the evidential basis of this estimate is.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport makes a judgment about the appropriate length of each franchise while the specification is being developed. The key factors will usually be milestones in the wider franchising programme, and the impact of any major rail projects. The new South Central franchise is planned as a five-year, 10-month franchise, ending in July 2015, with a further possible two-year extension at the department's discretion. This gives maximum flexibility to the Department to align the end dates of the Thameslink Greater Northern and South Central franchises with the completion of major infrastructure work on the Thameslink Programme, and any major franchise remapping that may result.
	The Department consulted franchise owning-groups on the length of the South Central franchise. Responses were mixed, with some preferring a short franchise with relatively high levels of certainty about the outputs, and others preferring a longer franchise, where the impact of the Thameslink Programme on the business would be dealt with as the franchise progressed.
	Franchise length is decided on a case-by-case basis. However recent franchises have generally been around seven to 10 years in length, with the last part of the franchise dependent on achieving performance targets. This is a balance: it provides operators with an incentive to plan in the medium term, but allows the Department to return regularly to the market to seek value for the taxpayer and further improvements for passengers.

Railways: Franchises

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the length of franchises on  (a) the performance of train-operating companies and  (b) the ability of train-operating companies to undertake expenditure to improve services.

Tom Harris: The Department has not carried out a formal assessment of this kind. In our view any such analysis would be inconclusive, as there is no clear way to isolate the effect of franchise length. It is clear, however, that performance and expenditure by operators has varied considerably among franchises of similar length.
	The Department and Network Rail have mechanisms in place to ensure that rail expenditure overall is targeted to deliver improvements that are effective for passengers and provide good value for money to taxpayers.

Railways: Passengers

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people used the rail network in the most recent accounting period for which figures are available, broken down by  (a) franchise and  (b) route.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport does not hold information of this detail on the number of rail passenger journeys made. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) does, however, publish rail passenger flows by train operating company and by region. These are given in the National Rail Trends Yearbook editions, which are available in the House Library or from the ORR website at:
	www.rail-reg.gov.uk

Royal Visits

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what funding her Department and its predecessors provided for each official overseas visit by  (a) HM the Queen and  (b) other members of the royal family in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what arrangements there are for the apportionment of costs in relation to official travel overseas by members of the royal family between her Department, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The costs of all official overseas visits undertaken by members of the royal family are met by the grant in aid for royal travel by air and rail. An annual report on the grant in aid is published each June as part of the Royal Household Report on Royal Public Finances. Copies of the reportwhich includes an appendix detailing all official overseas visits undertaken by members of the royal family are placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report for 2007-08 will be issued later this month.

Trailers: EU Action

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the provisions of the draft EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval Directive on small trailer manufacturers.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 5 June 2008
	Our proposals for implementing EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EU Directive 2007/46/EC) are currently out for consultation.
	Our latest assessment shows that the average cost to the small trailer industry will be:
	4.27 million/annum if we introduce European schemes only; or
	1.99 million/annum if we introduce both European schemes and National Approval schemes
	Our assessment has been made in close conjunction with industry and key stakeholders and is set out in more detail in the draft impact assessment at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/typeapprovalconsultation

Transport: Exhaust Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will set a sector-specific target for reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from road transport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 5 June 2008
	No. This would not be sensible as we are seeking to reduce emissions across the economy not just within road transport. Stern highlights the need for flexibility to take action where it costs least to ensure the cost of mitigation is manageable. Imposing targets for particular sub-sectors will reduce those flexibilities and increase costs.
	In the carbon budgets, to be established under the Climate Change Bill, the UK's emissions will be split into those sectors of the economy that participate in emissions trading schemes (the traded sector) and those that do not (the non-traded sector). A similar approach has been proposed by the European Commission in order to meet the EU's 2020 greenhouse gas reduction targets. The European Commission has proposed a 16 per cent. reduction target over 2005 levels for the UK's non-traded sector.
	About half the UK's emissions are in the non-traded sector. Over half of these are from transport, with most of the remainder coming from domestic heating. Under the EU proposal and the UK's own carbon budgeting system, the level of effort for emissions reduction will be set for the whole non-traded sector. This will cover all of the UK's road transport emissions.

World War II: Medals

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Air Transport Auxiliary Veterans Badges she expects to issue; when she expects to issue them; and what the cost of the project is.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is understood there were around 4,000 members of the Air Transport Auxiliary by 1945. The Department for Transport is working with the Air Transport Auxiliary Association to ensure that all eligible members of the Air Transport Auxiliary receive a Veterans Badge when it is launched later this year.
	The final cost of the project is dependent upon the number of eligible recipients identified by the association.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Unemployment

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) males aged 16 to 18,  (b) females aged 16 to 18,  (c) males aged 19 to 24 and  (d) females aged 19 to 24 years were not in employment, education or training in each English region in (i) May 1997 and (ii) May 2008.

Bill Rammell: The data presented in the following tables are taken from the labour force survey (LFS). The tables show, for each Government office region, the number of people not in employment, education or training (NEET) by age group (16 to 18 and 19 to 24)(1) and gender for (i) quarter 4 1997 and (ii) quarter 4 2007. Information for May 2008 is not yet available.
	(1) We have used academic age; respondents age at preceding 31 August.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of people not in employment, education or training in quarter 4 1997, by region, age and gender( 1) 
			   16 to 18  19 to 24 
			  Government office region  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 North East 7,000 6,000 13,000 12,000 17,500 29,500 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 10,500 19,000 29,500 26,500 44,000 70,500 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 7,500 8,500 16,000 20,000 36,500 56,500 
			 East Midlands 5,500 4,500 9,500 16,500 20,500 37,000 
			 West Midlands 10,000 10,000 20,000 21,500 41,500 63,000 
			 Eastern 7,500 8,000 15,500 16,500 27,500 43,500 
			 London 10,500 12,000 22,500 41,500 58,500 100,000 
			 South East 10,500 9,000 19,500 24,500 47,000 71,500 
			 South West 5,500 6,000 11,500 11,000 25,000 36,000 
			 England 74,000 83,000 157,000 190,000 317,500 507,500 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 500. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table  2 : Number of people not in employment, education or training in quarter  4 200 7, by region, age and gender( 1) 
			   16 to 18  19 to 24 
			  Government office region  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 North East 3,000 7,500 10,500 14,000 24,000 38,500 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 15,000 10,000 25,000 45,500 49,500 95,000 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 14,500 10,500 25,000 22,500 34,500 57,000 
			 East Midlands 12,000 6,500 19,000 21,000 30,000 51,000 
			 West Midlands 13,500 12,500 26,000 20,500 46,000 67,000 
			 Eastern 10,500 9,500 20,000 18,000 36,000 53,500 
			 London 16,500 7,000 23,500 35,000 64,000 99,000 
			 South East 15,500 12,500 28,000 35,000 53,500 88,500 
			 South West 9,500 5,000 14,500 14,500 27,000 41,000 
			 England 110,500 81,500 192,000 226,000 364,500 590,500 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 500. 
		
	
	The total number of 16 to 18-year-olds and 19 to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEET) has risen since 1997, but this reflects an increase in the overall population. The proportion of 19 to 24-year-olds NEET remains unchanged at 15 per cent., although the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET had risen slightly (from 9 per cent. to 10 per cent.).
	It should be noted that although the proportion of 19 to 24-year-olds NEET is higher than the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET, 37 per cent. (217,000) of 19 to 24-year-old NEETs claim to be economically inactive because they are looking after their family or home. The proportion of 16 to 18-year-old NEETs looking after their family or home is 12 per cent. (22,000).
	
		
			  Table  3 :  Percentage  of people not in employment, education or training in quarter  4 199 7, by region, age and gende r 
			   16 to 18  19 to 24 
			  Government office region  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 North East 13 12 13 14 20 17 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 9 15 12 11 19 15 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 8 9 8 11 21 16 
			 East Midlands 7 6 7 11 14 12 
			 West Midlands 9 11 10 12 22 17 
			 Eastern 8 8 8 9 17 13 
			 London 8 10 9 15 19 17 
			 South East 7 6 7 9 18 14 
			 South West 6 8 7 7 16 12 
			 England 8 10 9 11 19 15 
		
	
	
		
			  Table  4 :  Percentage  of people not in employment, education or training in quarter  4 200 7, by region, age and gende r 
			   16 to 18  19 to 24 
			  Government office region  Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 North East 7 16 11 12 22 17 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 10 7 9 16 18 17 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 13 10 12 10 16 13 
			 East Midlands 14 9 11 11 17 14 
			 West Midlands 12 12 12 10 22 16 
			 Eastern 9 9 9 9 18 14 
			 London 13 6 9 12 21 16 
			 South East 10 8 9 12 18 15 
			 South West 10 6 8 7 14 11 
			 England 11 9 10 11 18 15 
		
	
	The figures provided here for young people of academic age 16 to 18 who are NEET do not represent the official DCSF estimates of NEET. The official national estimates are produced from a combination of administrative sources and LFS data, and can be found at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/index.shtml
	The DCSF national estimates for 16 to 18 NEET cannot be disaggregated to regional level. Local figures are usually estimated using the Connexions Service's data system, the Client Caseload Information System. However, since this data is not available for the 19 to 24 group, or for 1997, estimates derived purely from the LFS are provided here.
	It is important to note that as with all survey estimates, these estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling error. Nationally, the margin of error around the LFS 16 to 18 NEET estimate is around +/- 1.4 per cent., and when broken down by region and gender, the margin of error will be much larger. The figures should, therefore, be treated with caution.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Departmental Translation Services

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2404W, on departmental translation services, how much was spent on translation services into  (a) Welsh and  (b) other languages in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08 to date.

Gareth Thomas: Expenditure on translations into Welsh, to support departmental requirements in accordance with its Welsh Language Scheme, is as follows:
	
		
			   Into Welsh () 
			 2003-04 18,634 
			 2004-05 55,460 
			 2005-06 75,855 
			 2006-07 (1)58,221 
			 2007-08 16,805 
			 (1) An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member on 4 March 2008  Official Report, column 2404W, with respect to expenditure on translation services in 2006-07. The correct figure on expenditure with the Department's supplier is 539,711. 
		
	
	Expenditure on translations into other languages (other than English) to support departmental business, including providing appropriate access to information in accordance with the Department's 'Race Equality Scheme', and the overseas promotional activities of UK Trade and Investment (the joint BERR and FCO organisation) is as follows:
	
		
			   Languages other than English ()( 1) 
			 2003-04 227,097 
			 2004-05 254,326 
			 2005-06 244,270 
			 2006-07 (2)395,343 
			 2007-08 248,248 
			 (1) Includes costs of specialised typesetting and printing for some languages e.g. Arabic, Japanese. It has not been possible to identify such costs separately, from the information available centrally, without incurring disproportionate costs. (2) An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member on 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2404W, with respect to expenditure on translation services in 2006-07. The correct figure on expenditure with the Department's supplier is 539,711. 
		
	
	In an earlier answer I gave to the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) on 15 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1754W, the figure of 16,805 for translations into Welsh in 2007-08, for which information is available separately, was inadvertently included in the figure for 'translations into other languages'. The correct figure for the latter (excluding Welsh) is now 248,248.

Members: Correspondence

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he will reply to the letter of 11 March 2008 on Post Office Ltd and financial aid to closed post offices in Hampshire.

Gareth Thomas: My hon. Friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs (Mr. McFadden) responded to the right hon. Member on 19 May.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children in Care

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children under 16 years are in care homes in  (a) Leeds West constituency,  (b) Leeds metropolitan district and  (c) the UK.

Kevin Brennan: Information is only available on children looked after who are placed in care homes by Leeds local authority; this covers the same area as Leeds metropolitan district.
	Information on the number of children under 16 years who were in care homes in Leeds local authority at 31 March 2007 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Children looked after under the age of 16 at 31 March in Children's Homes 2007( 1, 2) 
			  England  Number 
			  England 3,500 
			 Children's Homes regulations  
			 inside Council boundary 1,900 
			 outside Council boundary 1,600 
			   
			  Leeds LA 80 
			 Children's Homes regulations  
			 inside Council boundary 80 
			 outside Council boundary  
			 (1) SSDA903 return on children looked after. (2) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements and children looked after in secure homes and hostels.

Children in Care: Voluntary Organisations

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the role of the third sector in improving outcomes for children in care; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Voluntary sector organisations have provided significant input into developing Care Matters and most recently worked with Government on the Implementation Plan. The successful implementation of Care Matters will take sustained effort from all parties, including the voluntary sector, many of whom are among a list of stakeholders we consult regularly.

Children: Alcoholic Drinks

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to inform parents of the relationship between under-age drinking and young people becoming  (a) involved in and  (b) a victim of a crime; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 4 June 2008
	Alcohol consumption is one of the key factors associated with young people committing offences as well as being victims of crime, and is an important focus of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan the Government published on 2 June 2008.
	Parents are a crucial influence over young people's attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol. This is why the Youth Alcohol Action Plan drives forward actions to develop a partnership with parents on young people and alcohol.
	As part of the Action Plan, we will be issuing guidance to parents around young people and alcohol as well as targeting them with a communications campaign which aims to equip them with the knowledge they need to guide their children towards low-risk drinking.
	The Action Plan also sets out measures to tackle young people drinking in public placesparticularly when this is associated with antisocial behaviour.

Children: Disadvantaged

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of the 10-year child care strategy on children who are most disadvantaged.

Beverley Hughes: The Government's 10-year childcare strategy, Choice for parents, the best start for children, aims to ensure that every child gets the best start in life and that parents have more choice about how to balance work and family life. It will help to reduce child poverty and the achievement gap between the most disadvantaged children and their peers.
	The strategy will transform services by creating a strong, multi-agency, high quality universal infrastructure for all young children and families, but with additional help and support targeted on disadvantaged families who benefit most from high quality early years and childcare provision.
	Just a third of the way into the Strategy, we are ahead of schedule in establishing a new infrastructure. 2,907 multi-agency Sure Start Children's Centres have opened, offering services to over 2.2 million young children and their families. Almost all of those living in disadvantaged communities now have access to one. There are over 10,500 extended schools (two in five of the total) delivering access to the full core offer with many more schools delivering parts of the offer. 95 per cent. of three and four-year-olds are taking up the free part-time early education entitlement and some 13,000 disadvantaged two-year-olds in 32 local authorities have benefited from access to free early education. The assessments of childcare sufficiency that all local authorities have completed under the Childcare Act 2006 have given them a clear idea of the demand for childcare in their areas, its supply and any gaps between the two, to meet their duty of securing sufficient childcare for working parents.
	We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our policies through research and have a number of ongoing evaluations and data collections to monitor progress and inform the development of new policies. The latest National Evaluation of Sure Start research, published on 4 March, highlighted very clearly that Sure Start programmes are having a positive impact in some of the country's most disadvantaged communities, improving young children's development and strengthening the skills of parents so that they can provide a better home learning environment, helping prepare children to do well at school and make the most of their talents.

Departmental Vocational Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for what proportion of its staff his Department has provided vocational training in the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Grandparents

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that appropriate advice and support is available to grandparents who take on the care of their grandchildren.

Kevin Brennan: Local authorities have a broad power under Section 17 of the Children's Act 1989 to provide services to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need and to promote the upbringing of children by their families, defined to include any person with whom the child is living. These services may include financial help if that is the most appropriate way to meet the child's needs. Grandparents in these circumstances are also entitled to claim child tax credits and child benefit in the same way as other parents. If grandparents or any other relative are caring for a child who is looked after by the local authority, they will be approved as local authority foster carers and entitled to the same financial allowances and support services as any other foster carer.
	The Care Matters White Paper set out our commitment to provide a new framework for family and friends care which will set out the expectations of an effective service to enable children to remain within their wider families and communities. We are also seeking to improve services and supports to relative carers through a number of measures in the Children and Young Person's Bill

Pre-school Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what the results were of the analysis conducted by his Department on the progress between predicting outcomes from the foundation stage profile points and actual key stage 1 outcomes; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what analysis has been conducted on behalf of his Department of the progress between predicting outcomes from the foundation stage profile points and actual key stage 1 outcomes.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has carried out internal analysis on a sample of 48,000 pupils which matched results from the foundation stage profile (FSP) in 2005 to key stage 1 (KS1) teacher assessments from 2007. This showed a clear relationship between the two, with every additional point achieved at the FSP stage increasing the chance of doing well at KS1.
	The analysis shows that communication, language and literacy (CLL) has the highest correlation with KS1 outcomes, meaning that children who are developing well in their reading, writing, and spoken language are particularly likely to continue to do well in primary school. Of those pupils who achieve at least six points in all the personal, social and emotional development and CLL scales, a very high proportion go on to achieve the expected level and above KS1 maths (99 per cent.), reading (98 per cent.) and writing (97 per cent.). The analysis is due to be published on 20 June, I will send a copy to the hon. Member and place copies in the House Library.
	In addition, in 2007 the National Assessment Agency commissioned a small piece of research in six schools on the relationship between FSP scale points and later attainment at KS1. The outcomes from this research were not reliable and therefore it was not published.

Youth Services

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department and its predecessor has taken to develop youth and community facilities for children over 11 years old in  (a) England and  (b) Enfield North constituency in the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has committed new investment of 190 million over the next three years to deliver world class youth facilities through the 'myplace' programme delivered through a competitive bidding process by the Big Lottery Fund.
	DCSF is also continuing baseline funding of  26.5 million per annum over the next three years via local authorities for the Youth Capital Fund (YCF). We set out in the Youth Task Force Action Plan a further 22.6 million in 2008-09 to enhance this fund to benefit young people in the most deprived neighbourhoods and estates.
	We do not hold information on Enfield North, only on the Enfield local authority. In 2006-07 and 2007-08 the YCF allocation for Enfield was 169,313. The allocations for 2008-11 are unchanged.
	Our vision is that DCSF capital investment drives a system wide transformation in how places for young people to go are planned and delivered, particularly in the role and influence of young people and the level of genuine cross-sector partnership working.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crime Prevention

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Crimestoppers in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Crimestoppers is an extremely valuable support to the police, providing a confidential service to people to report matters that assist the police at a local level. Since November 2007, the PSNI have seen a steady increase in the number of actionable calls received via this number.

Dispersal Orders

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will consider introducing dispersal orders in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office is currently reviewing its Community Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland and tackling antisocial behaviour will remain a key theme within it. The revised strategy will set out various options for dealing with community safety matters, including the potential for considering new powers, within a package of new community safety measures.

PSNI: Manpower

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) regular,  (b) full-time reserve and  (c) part-time reserve police officers of each (i) rank, (ii) sex and (iii) religion were based in Belfast North constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
	The following table details the requested information since 2001 without community background information.
	Belfast North District Command Unit was formed in April 2001 therefore eight years information is available only.
	Community background information of employees within the Police Service of Northern Ireland is retained for monitoring purposes only and breaking down this information into smaller groups could reveal personal sensitive information for an individual and the organisation would therefore be in breach of Part III 16 (2) of the Fair Employment (Monitoring) Regulations (NI) 1999.
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Rank  M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F  M  F 
			  Regular 
			 Chief Super- intendent 1   1 1  1  1 1  1 
			 Superintendent 1  2  1  1  11  1  
			 Chief Inspector 4 1 5  3  2  1 1 1 I 6  4  
			 Inspector 14  12  12 4 11 2 11 2 10 I 16  13 3 
			 Sergeant 51 8 49 6 38 9 38 9 35 9 34 7 45 9 44 12 
			 Constable 268 38 253 37 218 63 204 72 187 69 176 55 232 45 234 46 
			  
			  Full-Time Reserve 117 11 98 11 69 7 55 5 39 3 34 2 76 7 66 6 
			  
			  Part-Time Reserve 66 37 63 36 44 23 7 1 55 30 47 24 
			  
			  Constable Part-time   36 18 35 17 34 17 
			 Sub total 522 95 482 91 386 106 349 107 310 101 289 83 431 92 409 92 
			 Total 617 573 523 501 492 456 411 372 
			  Note: M = Male F = Female

Royal Ulster Constabulary: Part-Time Employment

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has paid in compensation to part-time members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in each year since 2001.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Constable has provided the following answer:
	The amount of compensation paid to part-time reserve members in each financial year since 2001 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			   Amount paid () 
			 2001-02 17,675 
			 2002-03 3,740 
			 2003-04 5,000 
			 2004-05 3,260 
			 2005-06 11,723 
			 2006-07 115,250 
			 2007-08 46,750 
			 Total 203,398

HEALTH

Allergies

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were hospitalised with allergic reactions, broken down by  (a) type of allergy,  (b) primary care trust and  (c) sex, in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of people hospitalised with allergic reactions is not collected.

Arthritis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is  (a) taking and  (b) plans to take to provide to nurses in primary care settings training to (i) identify, (ii) diagnose and (iii) assess patients with rheumatoid arthritis; what recent representations he has received about the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Education and training for all nurses is the responsibility of their employers in light of local priorities and local assessment of training needs. There have been no recent representations about the training of nurses in rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department have responsibility for inflammatory arthritis policy and implementation, broken down by grade; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We currently do not have a dedicated policy team specifically for inflammatory arthritis.

Asthma: Children

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 18 years were hospitalised for asthma in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) age,  (b) sex,  (c) socio-economic background and  (d) primary care trust.

Ann Keen: Information is not available on admissions to hospital by socio-economic background. Tables have been placed in the Library which show the number of admissions for children under 18 by age, sex and primary care trust.

Cancer: East of England

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the East of England Strategic Health Authority on the accuracy of information used in the consultation on head and neck cancer services in Ipswich Hospital;
	(2)  if he will ask the East of England strategic health authority to investigate the accuracy of the information provided by Suffolk primary care trust in the consultation on head and neck cancer services in Ipswich hospital;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Minister for the East of England on the impact of proposals for the reorganisation of oncology services in that region, with particular reference to the effects on patients in Ipswich and the surrounding areas.

Ann Keen: The Department has not had any discussions with the East of England strategic health authority (SHA) regarding the accuracy of information used in the consultation over the head and neck cancer services in Ipswich hospital and has not had any discussions with the Minister for the East of England (Barbara Follett) in relation to the impact of proposals for the reorganisation of oncology services in that region.
	The issues that the hon. Member raises are for the local national health service and the Anglia Cancer Network. Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible within the NHS for commissioning and funding appropriate health services for their resident populations. The hon. Member may therefore wish to discuss his concerns with the chief executives of Suffolk PCT and East of England SHA.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether primary care trusts are able to commission head and neck cancer services from units that are not considered compliant with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Improving Outcomes Guidance.

Ann Keen: We would not expect commissioners to commission cancer services from trusts that are not compliant with Improving Outcomes Guidance.
	Improving Outcomes Guidance was produced by clinical experts. The guidance sets out recommendations on how services for cancer patients should be organised to ensure the best outcomes for patients.

Cancer: Health Services

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated by the NHS for lymphoedema in the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected.

Cancer: Health Services

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to provide funding to deal with the side effects of cancer treatments, with particular reference to lymphoedema;
	(2)  gives to strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to assist in planning for dealing with the side effects of cancer treatment, with particular reference to lymphoedema;
	(3)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that hospitals follow-up treatment of cancer patients to detect late effects of cancer treatments, with particular reference to lymphoedema.

Ann Keen: The Department does not provide specific funding or support for strategic health authorities or primary care trusts for dealing with the side effects of cancer treatment, including lymphoedema. It is for local trusts to determine the services required by their local population and commission these.
	However, the Cancer Reform Strategy published in December 2007, recognised that the services and support available to those living with and beyond cancer needs to be improved and announced the establishment of a new National Cancer Survivorship Initiative to deliver this. Copies of the Cancer Reform Strategy are available in the Library.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who has responsibility for deciding whether a head and neck cancer unit is compliant with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Improving Outcomes Guidance.

Ann Keen: The cancer action team confirms whether or not a head and neck cancer unit is compliant with the Improving Outcomes Guidance.
	In addition, through the National Cancer Peer Review Programme, cancer networks' services are assessed against a series of measures related to each set of Improving Outcomes Guidance. This process provides a means to assess the quality of cancer services provided by each cancer network and ensure all areas are brought up to the level of the best.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of advice given by the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists when formulating policies relating to head and neck cancer.

Ann Keen: The British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists was stakeholders in the development of guidance by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on Improving Outcome in Head and Neck Cancers. The Guidance was published in 2004.
	Stakeholders are consulted throughout the guidance development process. They are involved at the beginning of the process when the scope of the guidance is being established and in commenting on the draft versions of the guidance.

Cancer: Health Services

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the commissioning by primary care trusts of head and neck cancer services from  (a) head and neck cancer units considered to be compliant with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Improving Outcomes Guidance and  (b) other units.

Ann Keen: It is for individual primary care trusts and their strategic health authorities to determine the configuration of services which best meets the needs of their community. Commissioners and providers when commissioning cancer services will be expected to have due regard to any guidance and recommendations provided by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence to ensure the best outcomes for their patients.

Cardiovascular System: Diseases

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that primary care practitioners receive appropriate resources to diagnose and treat peripheral arterial disease;
	(2)  what mechanisms his Department is considering to improve the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial disease in primary care.

Ann Keen: On 1 April 2008, the Department published 'Putting Prevention First', copies of this publication are available in the Library. This confirmed that a programme to reach everybody between the ages of 40 and 74, to check their vascular risk and provide them with an individual assessment, would be both clinically and cost-effective.
	The next step is to develop an implementation and delivery programme with key stakeholders. Stakeholders will play a crucial role in helping to formulate proposals for the vascular check programme. We expect that general practice will have an important role in delivery but other organisations, such as pharmacies, are also likely to be involved.
	Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a vascular condition, although not identified in the proposed programme, and the risk factors for PAD are the same as for other vascular diseases. Vascular checks will make a significant contribution to tackling PAD through prevention and early detection.
	We are committed to making extra resources available to primary care trusts from 2009-10 to fund this programme, both to cover the costs of the risk assessments themselves and to fund the costs of the consequent interventions. Once fully implemented, this is likely to be in the order of 250 million per annum.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of women in Bexley received cervical smear tests within the recommended period of time in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds) on 31 January 2008,  Official Report, columns 617-36W.

Childbirth

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the causes and treatment of premature birth; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Both the Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have a long record of investment in research concerned with premature birth. This has included for example the support the Department's Policy Research Programme gives to the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU). Much of the NPEU's work on the compromised foetus and baby focuses on or is linked to pre-term birth, as is a series of reviews the NPEU is undertaking on infant mortality. The MRC is funding a number of relevant projects, including a 3 million population-based study of survival and later health status of infants of 25 weeks gestation or less; and a 2.4 million randomised controlled trial investigating which oxygen saturation level should be used for very premature infants.
	Implementation of the Government's health research strategy Best Research for Best Health and the establishment of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) means there are now more research programmes and significant new funding opportunities for researchers. The NIHR has so far funded four new research projects to do with premature birth and the national health service Biomedical Research Centres formed last year plan to spend 3 million on relevant research over the next five years.

Community Nurses

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2008,  Official Report, column 2163W, on community nurses, when the interim evaluation report for the Family Nurse Partnership Pilot Project's first year will be published.

Ann Keen: holding answer 22 May 2008
	 We expect the interim evaluation report for the Family Nurse Partnership programme to be published on the research website for the Department of Children, Schools and Families shortly.

Diabetes

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist people with diabetes who are unable to insure against critical illness.

Ann Keen: The decision whether to take out private medical insurance and/or critical illness cover is a personal one.
	We continue to support the NHS in implementing the standards set out in the National Service Framework for Diabetes to improve services for people with diabetes. Copies of the framework are available in the Library.
	The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) has identified an extra 200,000 people with diabetes in the last two years, who are now able to accept the support and treatment to manage their condition. QOF data also shows that the number of people meeting targets for blood pressure, HbA1c (blood glucose) and cholesterol is rising year on year.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many primary care trusts had a scheme to identify those at risk of diabetes in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2006;
	(2)  what NHS schemes exist in Leicestershire to help diagnose those at risk of diabetes;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the merits of the use of technology to detect patients that are at risk of developing diabetes, in the light of research led by Dr. Tim Holt.

Ann Keen: We do not collect data on the number of primary care trusts operating a scheme to identify those at risk of diabetes.
	The Prime Minister announced in January the Government's intention to develop a programme to assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. 'Putting Prevention First', published on 1 April 2008, showed that a vascular checks programme for those aged between 40 and 74, would be both clinically and cost-effective. Copies of this publication are available in the Library.
	There is already a considerable amount of prevention and risk management activity taking place in general practice in relation to individual vascular conditions such as chronic heart conditions and diabetes. The vascular checks programme will ensure that all those between the age of 40 and 74 have the opportunity of a vascular check which will include the identification of those at risk of Type 2 diabetes and also a glucose test where appropriate. We are now working with stakeholders to design the programme for delivery from 2009-10.
	The NHS is already making use of technology to detect patients at risk of developing diabetes. Early identification of diabetes is a priority and is a key part of the National Service Framework for Diabetes. The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) has identified an extra 200,000 people with diabetes in the last two years, who are now able to accept the support and treatment to manage their condition. QOF data also show that the number of people meeting targets for blood pressure, HbAlc (blood glucose) and cholesterol is rising year on year.

Diabetes: Health Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of doctors do not design care plans for those with diabetes.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the Healthcare Commission's National Survey of People with Diabetes 2007 states that across all primary care trusts 34 per cent. to 61 per cent. of people with diabetes had agreed a plan to manage their condition.
	To respond to this the Department, in partnership with Diabetes UK and the National Diabetes and Kidney Support Team, has set up a self management working group to support the national health service in developing and spreading all the elements of self management, including care planning.
	We are clear that the process of care planning is a key way of supporting people to self-manage their condition on a day-to-day-basis, and that all people with diabetes should have the opportunity to be equal partners in their care.

Diabetes: Health Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are made by primary care trusts to provide emotional and psychological support for adults with diabetes.

Ann Keen: Decisions about the provision of emotional and psychological support for adults with diabetes are for local primary care trusts. However, we recognise the importance it has in enabling people with diabetes to self-manage their condition on a day-to-day basis. The Department of Health has therefore begun work in collaboration with Diabetes UK to identify what needs to be done to enable the NHS and local care services to meet the psychological and emotional needs of all people with diabetes to support self care.

Diabetes: Health Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms exist for those with diabetes who exhibit complications to be monitored by their local primary care trust.

Ann Keen: The Quality and Outcomes Framework has identified an extra 200,000 people with diabetes in the last two years, who are now able to access the support and treatment they need to manage their condition. QOF data also shows that the number of people meeting targets for blood pressure, HbA1c (blood glucose) and cholesterol is rising year on year.
	The Diabetes National Service Framework highlights the importance of people with diabetes having annual checks. This provides the opportunity for the results of key test and measurements to be discussed, and for any complications to be identified as early as possible.

Diabetes: Health Services

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government's report on progress in attaining the national service framework standards for diabetes will be published.

Ann Keen: We are planning to publish our progress report on the National Diabetes Service Framework during summer 2008.

Diabetes: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to encourage all primary care trusts to establish a programme for the early detection of diabetes;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of primary care trusts with a programme for the early identification of diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Prime Minister announced in January the Government's intention to develop a programme to assess people's risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. Putting Prevention First Vascular Checks: risk assessment and management, published on 1 April 2008, showed that a vascular checks programme for those aged between 40 and 74, would be clinically and cost effective. Copies of the publication are available in the Library.
	There is already a considerable amount of prevention and risk management activity taking place in general practice in relation to individual vascular conditions such as chronic heart conditions and diabetes. The Vascular Checks Programme will ensure that all those between the age of 40 and 74 have the opportunity of a vascular check which will include the identification of those at risk of Type 2 diabetes and include a glucose test where appropriate. We are now working with stakeholders to design the programme for delivery from 2009-10.

Doctors: Housing

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of junior doctors have been housed in NHS-provided accommodation in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall,  (c) the south-west and  (d) England since 1979.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Doctors: Housing

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the provision of accommodation for junior doctors in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall,  (c) the south-west and  (d) England has cost the NHS since 1979.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Doctors: Housing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of junior doctors' accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Doctors: Housing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors were provided with NHS-funded accommodation by his Department in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Epilepsy: Finance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support his Department provided for National Epilepsy week 2008.

Ann Keen: The Department has not funded the National Epilepsy week.

Health Professions: Foreigners

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the results of the consultation on proposals for managing applications for medical careers from medical graduates from outside the European Economic Area.

Ann Keen: In July 2008.

Health Services: Children

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correlation there is between the children's national service framework and the Children's Plan; what plans he has to review the former; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (the NSF) concentrates on the health and wellbeing of children, whereas the Children's Plan: Building brighter futures is about ensuring that Britain is the best country in the world in which to be a child. There will also be a Child Health Strategy, which will not supersede the NSF but be about ensuring the implementation of the standards already set out in the NSF. Increasingly, local authorities and primary care trusts will be judged on their implementation of the NSF. Copies of both the NSF and the Children's Plan are available in the Library.

Health Visitors

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors worked in the NHS in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The number of health visitors employed by the national health service in each year since 1997 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Health visitors employed in the NHS (England) as at September each year (headcount and full-time equivalent) 
			   Headcount  Full-time equivalent 
			 1997 12,410 10,025 
			 1998 12,572 10,068 
			 1999 12,800 10,161 
			 2000 12,827 10,046 
			 2001 13,053 10,186 
			 2002 12,774 9,912 
			 2003 12,984 9,999 
			 2004 13,303 10,137 
			 2005 12,818 9,809 
			 2006(1) 12,034 9,376 
			 2007 11,569 9,056 
			 (1) More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 232 headcount duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census.  Source: Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

Hospital Wards: Gender

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been placed on mixed sex wards at  (a) Hemel Hempstead,  (b) Watford and  (c) St. Albans hospitals since May 2006.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The Department is committed to reducing mixed sex accommodation to an absolute minimum. On those occasions where the need to treat and admit takes precedence over complete gender separation, everything possible should be done to maximise privacy and dignity.

Hospitals: Closures

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues to primary care trusts on ceasing to purchase services from hospital units earmarked for possible closure before the consultation on such closure has been concluded.

Ann Keen: This is entirely a matter for primary care trusts to determine.

Human-Animal Hybrid Embryos

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether specific consent was obtained from the donor or donors of the human fibroblast cells used to clone animal-human hybrid embryos at Newcastle University.

Dawn Primarolo: We understand from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that the university of Newcastle Upon Tyne, under licence R0179, are currently using human embryonic stem cells (derived from research project R0145) to create hybrid embryos. Research project R0145, carried out at the Centre for LIFE at Newcastle, involves deriving stem cells from poor quality embryos which are not suitable for treatment. Patients donating embryos to this research project would have given consent for their embryos to be used in stem cell research. It is a condition of the UK Stem Cell Bank Steering Committee that consent forms signed by donors of material to be used in the creation of stem cell lines unequivocally state that donors have no control over any future uses of stem cell lines derived from donated material.
	In the future the group plan to use dermal fibroblasts (skin cells), donated by patients recruited by dermatologists at Newcastle, to create hybrids. The HFEA and Local Research Ethics Committee would need to approve the patient information and consent forms used for obtaining consent from these patients.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill contains provisions to require that explicit consent for the creation of human admixed embryos is obtained.

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects to publish the consultation into the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the Provision of Stoma and Incontinence Appliances in primary care;
	(2)  what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the revised proposals under Part IX of the Drug Tariff, concerning arrangements for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances in primary care.

Ann Keen: A further consultation Proposed new arrangements on the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliancesand related servicesin Primary Care, was published on 9 June 2008 and copies have been placed in the Library. The closing date for responses is 9 September 2008.
	It had been intended that publication would take place at the end of May but the reclassification of the 5,000-plus items under review took longer than expected.

Lung Diseases

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations his Department has received on the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
	(2)  what steps the Government has taken to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the potential for pulmonary rehabilitation and follow-on exercise classes to reduce the number of emergency hospital admissions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Ann Keen: The Department is currently considering advice from the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) External Reference Group on proposed markers of good practice from prevention through to end of life care. This advice will be considered by Ministers and options developed for implementation. These will include options for early diagnosis of people with COPD and raising awareness of the disease. There is good evidence that pulmonary rehabilitation and regular exercise can drive significant improvements in the health status of people with COPD, with subsequent reduction in the number of emergency hospital admissions.

Maternity Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many  (a) full and  (b) part days NHS maternity units were closed to new admissions (i) because the unit had reached full capacity and (ii) for another reason in 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Nurses: Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many diabetes specialist nurses there are in the NHS;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of research at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust on the effects on costs of employing more diabetes specialist nurses in accident and emergency centres;
	(3)  how many diabetes specialist nurses will be employed in the NHS in 2008-09.

Ann Keen: Information on the number of diabetes specialist nurses employed in the national health service is not collected centrally. Workforce planning is a matter for local determination as local NHS organisations are best placed to assess the health care needs of their local population.
	It is vital that people with diabetes in hospital are identified and treated accordingly, and diabetes specialist nurses can play a valuable role in this. In March 2008 the National Diabetes Support Team published Improving emergency and inpatient care for people with diabetes, which highlights the importance of the diabetes specialist team, including specialist nurses, in reducing length of stay and improving outcomes for people with diabetes.

Nurses: Lymphoedema

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the numbers of dedicated lymphoedema practitioner nurses.

Ann Keen: The Government have supported the development of a range of specialist roles within nursing. However it is for local national health service organisations to commission training places and to deploy specialist nurses in accordance with their local needs.

Nurses: Travel

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many miles travel expenditure NHS community nurses claimed on average in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Nurses: Travel

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effect of rising fuel prices on NHS community service staff.

Ann Keen: The NHS Staff Council is keeping this under review. A joint sub group of the NHS Staff Council is currently working towards agreement. Guidance was issued in December as an interim measure until agreement can be reached.

Salt: Health Education

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on public awareness campaigns on the health implications of excessive salt consumption in each of last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency's public awareness campaigns on salt began in January 2004, and the total cost of the three phases of the campaign, which were undertaken between January 2004 and March 2008 was 15,227,000. This includes all campaign costs such as advertising, production, research, marketing, public relations, web and partner grants.

West Hertfordshire Acute Hospital Trust

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the salary of the temporary Chief Executive Officer of West Herts Acute Hospital Trust is; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The requested information is not held centrally. East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has advised that details of the Chief Executive's salary would be included in the annual report for West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust which is due to be published in July 2008. However, the hon. Member may wish to raise this matter directly with the Chief Executive or Chair of the Trust.
	More generally, national health service trusts may pay their staff remuneration and allowances, and employ them on such terms and conditions, as they consider appropriate. The Department introduced the pay framework for very senior managers in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts in 2006 and updated it in 2007. Both documents are available in the Library. Although the framework does not apply to NHS trusts, they are free to adopt its principles.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer from the Minister of State for International Development of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 655W, on Afghanistan: overseas aid, what International Security Assistance Force funds have been made available for the building of a new mosque in Musa Qala; who is leading the project; and when the project will be completed.

Des Browne: The cost of the new Hanifi mosque being built just to the west of the centre of Musa Qala in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, has not yet been finalised, but it is estimated it will be between $70,000 and $150,000, funding for which will be provided by the International Security Assistance Force. This will be project managed by the Royal Engineers on behalf of the Provincial Reconstruction Team based at Lashkar Gah and the Afghan Ministry for Rehabilitation and Rural Development. It is expected to be completed in around six months.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British and Commonwealth service personnel have been killed in blue on blue friendly fire incidents in Afghanistan since 2001.

Des Browne: We believe five members of the UK armed forces have been killed as a result of blue-on-blue incidents in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 661W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what infrastructure development and reconstruction the Royal Engineers have carried out in the last 24 months; and how many Afghan National Army engineers have been trained to operate independently.

Bob Ainsworth: Between June 2006 and June 2008, the Royal Engineers in Afghanistan have been involved with a total of 216 reconstruction and development projects. These have been built by local Afghan companies, providing employment and livelihoods to the local population, but managed by the Royal Engineers on behalf of the provincial reconstruction team based at Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province. The following table lists the number, type, location and status of these projects.
	
		
			Location 
			  Type of  p roject  Status  Lashkar Gar  Gereshk  Sangin  Musa Qal'eh 
			 Education Completed 6 4 1 0 
			  Ongoing 2 1 1 1 
			  Planned 0 4 0 1 
			 Security and Rule of Law Completed 20 4 1 0 
			  Ongoing 8 6 4 2 
			  Planned 5 3 1 1 
			 Health Completed 8 3 0 1 
			  Ongoing 1 1 0 1 
			  Planned 2 2 1 0 
			 Roads Completed 0 25 0 6 
			  Ongoing 2 1 1 1 
			  Planned 0 2 2 0 
			 Mosques/Religious Centres Completed 1 1 0 5 
			  Ongoing 1 1 1 1 
			  Planned 0 4 0 0 
			 Other Completed 42 11 5 2 
			  Ongoing 0 0 0 5 
			  Planned 0 24 9 0 
			 Total Completed  77 23 7 7 
			 Total Ongoing  14 10 7 11 
			 Total Planned  7 39 12 2 
			 Grand total  98 72 26 20 
		
	
	Training of Afghan National Army (ANA) military engineers is continuing, although mentoring support from coalition forces is still provided to enable their operations.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2008,  Official Report, column 344W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, when he expects the investigation to conclude.

Des Browne: The investigation will be completed as rapidly as possible. However, a number of witnesses have yet to be interviewed and other aspects of the investigation by the Royal Military Police Special Investigations Branch are continuing. I cannot therefore be more precise about when the investigation will be concluded.

Armed Forces: EU Nationals

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the nationality rules are for members of other European Union countries serving in the UK armed forces.

Bob Ainsworth: The nationality eligibility rules for employment in the UK armed forces state that to be accepted, an applicant must have been at all times since birth a British or Commonwealth citizen, or a Republic of Ireland national. A waiver of these requirements may be granted, in exceptional circumstances, to applicants who were not British or Commonwealth citizens or Republic of Ireland nationals at birth, but had become so at the time of their application.
	The last comprehensive review of nationality eligibility criteria examined the position with regard to EU citizens. Because of the specific nature of armed forces employment, it was decided not to allow EU citizens to become members of our armed forces.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will publish the monthly housing reports produced by the Defence Estates Housing Directorate in each of the last 12 months;
	(2)  if he will publish the results of the latest customer satisfaction survey carried out by Modern Housing Solutions.

Derek Twigg: The Defence Estates housing report for March 2008 (the latest available) together with the latest occupant satisfaction survey are published on the Modern Housing Solution website at
	www.modernhousingsolutions.com
	under the heading 'Progress Information for Occupants'.

Armed Forces: Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Westbury (Dr. Murrison) of 2 April 2008,  Official Report, column 937W, on armed forces: influenza, when the Pandemic Influenza Guide was published; which  (a) Government Departments and  (b) other interested parties he consulted in producing the guide; to whom the guide has been distributed; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The development of the MOD Pandemic Flu Guide (renamed the Framework in 2008) has been an ongoing activity since November 2005, and was first issued in May 2006. The requirement is to ensure that the MOD has a robust approach to its contingency planning to deal with the general pandemic risk and to reinforce this with selective measures to protect critical activities or those judged to be especially at risk. As the Guide/Framework is a live document, it has been subject to continuous updates and revisions, with the latest version issued in February 2008. Updated versions of the Framework (together with supporting leaflets) are distributed to top level budget holders (TLBs) and trading funds as and when these become available. A work in progress copy of the Framework (and some supporting leaflets) has recently been placed in the Library.
	Development of the MOD Pandemic Flu Guide/Framework has been undertaken by the Flu Sub-Group (composed of expertise drawn from different organisations across the Central TLB and wider Defence community) and the participation of MOD personnel (civilian and military) in activities, work streams and exercises co-ordinated by the Cabinet Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS). MOD personnel also support the Department of Health (DH) and Health Protection Agency (HPA) Programme Board in creating the national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic. Taken together this involvement ensures MOD influenza pandemic planning accords with cross-Government influenza contingency preparations.

Armed Forces: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 15-18WS, on helicopters on operations, where training will be conducted as part of the helicopter support initiative.

Des Browne: The European Defence Agency, with support from the UK and France, is currently analysing member states' training capacities and training needs to assess the potential added value of multi-national initiatives. At this stage it would be premature to speculate on solutions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 15th May 2008,  Official Report, column 1580W, on Bosnia and Herzegovina: peacekeeping operations, whether  (a) the UK,  (b) Germany and  (c) Italy will backfill the requirement for the Ready Battalion Operational Reserve Force while the UK deploys the 2 Battalion, The Rifles to Kosovo.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no requirement to backfill the Operational Reserve Force 'Ready' Battalion while 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, is deployed to Kosovo.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 14th May 2008,  Official Report, column 1580W, on Bosnia and Herzegovina: peacekeeping operations, what the operational language is for those units serving in the multi-national NATO/EU pan-Balkans Operational Reserve Force.

Bob Ainsworth: The operational language for the NATO/EU pan-Balkans Operational Reserve Force is English.

Climate Change

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of each of the research reports commissioned by his Department on climate change in the last five years.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 6 May 2008
	In the last five years the MOD has produced four unclassified reports:
	Impacts of sea level rise based on current state-of-the-art modelling;
	Environmental stresses from detailed climate model simulations for the middle east and Gulf region;
	Briefing document on environmental stresses from climate change; and
	Report on changes in storm surges from detailed model simulations for the Bay of Bengal.
	I shall place copies of the reports in the Library of the House.

Defence

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will publish the revised defence planning assumptions.

Des Browne: The Defence Planning Assumptions are currently under review as part of the Department's routine strategic planning cycle. I expect this work will be completed this year and the results published in the next Defence White Paper in the usual way.

Departmental Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff funded by the public purse in his Department are classified as people without posts.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of employees in his Department who received a performance-related bonus at their last appraisal were  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) from an ethnic minority,  (d) disabled and  (e) not heterosexual; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Some 52,500 individuals are recorded as having received a bonus in the principal Ministry of Defence bonus award process for civilian staff in 2007. This number is broken down as follows:
	
		
			   Thousand  Percentage 
			 Male 20.5 (39.1 
			 Female 32.0 60.9 
			
			 Ethnic minority 1.3 2.6 
			 BritishWhite 43.6 82.9 
			 Not declared/recorded 7.6 14.5 
			
			 Disabled 2.5 4.8 
			 Not disabled 28.0 53.3 
			 Not declared/recorded 22.0 41.9 
			
			 Not heterosexual 0.3 0.6 
			 Heterosexual 23.9 45.5 
			 Not declared/recorded 28.3 53.9

HMS Superb

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for HMS Superb to dock and have her damage assessed before returning to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: An initial assessment of the damage has been made while HMS Superb has been alongside in Aqaba, Jordan. HMS SuperB has been judged to be safe to sail but will be undertaking further assessment alongside in Crete before completing her transit to the UK.

Iraq: Detainees

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been  (a) captured,  (b) arrested and  (c) detained by British forces during the conflicts in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan.

Des Browne: holding answer 6 June 2008
	The Ministry of Defence is undertaking a review of its detention records. I will write to the hon. Member when the review has completed.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British and Commonwealth service personnel have been killed in blue on blue incidents in Iraq since 2003.

Des Browne: We believe eight members of the UK armed forces have been killed as a result of blue-on-blue incidents in Iraq since 2003.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what occasions the Study for the Inquiry into National Recognition of our armed forces met representatives of service museums; and what the dates were of those meetings.

Bob Ainsworth: The study for the Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces met representatives of the Service museums on the following occasions and dates:
	Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: during a visit to Portsmouth Naval Base on 16 January 2008;
	National Army Museum: during a visit to the National Army Museum Chelsea on 7 March 2008
	and
	RAF Museum: at a meeting with the RAF Museum Director (Dr Michael Fopp) in Portcullis House on 4 March 2008.

National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, column 692W, on the National Recognition of our Armed Forces Inquiry, what timescale he has set for a full response to the National Recognition Study Report.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government aim to provide a full response to the National Recognition Study report to Parliament before the House rises for the summer recess on 22 July.

Nuclear Submarines

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) X berths and  (b) Z berths are available for use by the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines between the Red Sea and the UK.

Bob Ainsworth: There are no X or Z berths between the Red Sea and the UK as these types of berth are only located within the two submarine base ports of HMNB Devonport and HMNB Clyde.

Special Nuclear Vehicles

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times special nuclear vehicles were used on the road between April 2007 and March 2008; and how many special escort group operations there were in the same period.

Bob Ainsworth: I am withholding the information requested, as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice national security.

USA: Armed Forces

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2008,  Official Report, column 379W, on the armed forces: USA, on how many occasions since 1997 visiting US personnel have been  (a) prosecuted under UK law and  (b) dealt with under US law for offences committed in the UK; and what information his Department holds on the results of such cases dealt with by the US military authorities.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence does not hold records of legal cases involving US visiting force personnel.

War Pensions

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to reintroduce a link between war pensions and average earnings; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 June 2007,  Official Report, column 176W, to the hon. Member for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Departmental Targets

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effect of relevant targets set by her Department on police priorities; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: In developing our new public service agreementswhich came into effect in Aprilthe Home Office and Ministry of Justice consulted extensively with the police service over the impact that previous PSA targets had had on police priorities. The new objectives on crime reduction and criminal justice reflect that feedback and place a renewed emphasis on the police and their partners identifying and addressing specific local priorities while ensuring that the most serious crimes and criminals are tackled as a matter of course in all areas.

Tackling Gangs Action Programme

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the lessons learned from the Tackling Gangs Action programme.

Vernon Coaker: TGAP demonstrated how a relatively small amount of money2 millioncan drive focused cross-agency action to deliver prevention, risk management, community reassurance and enforcementand make a real difference on the ground. Further details are available in TGAP's monitoring report and in 'Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide' on the Home Office's Crime Reduction website.

Communications Data Storage

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to put in place measures for the comprehensive storage of national telephone and e-mail communications data.

Tony McNulty: We are considering how we ensure that we can continue to have access to communications data in the light of changing technology, and are developing proposals for the Communications Data Bill announced in the Government's draft legislative programme.
	These proposals relate to communications datanot the content of communications.

Local Policing

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how she plans to consult local communities on local policing priorities.

Tony McNulty: Since April 2008 every area in England and Wales has had a neighbourhood policing team. These teams meet with their local communities to agree the local priorities for action. And in the Green Paper that I will publish shortly, I will set out our plan to introduce a policing pledge which will set out a national standard on what people can expect from the police, underpinned in each area by a set of local priorities agreed by people in each neighbourhood.

Immigration

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to review the adequacy of the immigration arrangements to the UK for New Zealand nationals.

Liam Byrne: We are delivering the biggest shake-up of the immigration system for over 40 years.
	We will listen hard to the views of the New Zealand Government and I met with the High Commissioner (Derek Leask) last week to ensure their views are taken into account.

Police: Fitness

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of levels of physical fitness of serving police officers.

Tony McNulty: Responsibility for the physical fitness of serving police officers lies with the chief officer of each force.
	We are continuing to work with the police service to promote the good health of serving police officers.

Police Officers: Patrol

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to increase the amount of time that police officers spend on patrol.

Tony McNulty: The Government are committed to delivering a visible and reassuring police presence. Since April there has been a neighbourhood policing team in every area.
	The Home Secretary has already accepted Sir Ronnie Flanagan's recommendation to remove lengthy stop and account forms, and will also consider more proportionate and streamlined stop and search and crime recording forms.
	We are continuing with consultation on reforms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, streamlining the Criminal Justice process, and investing 50 million in new mobile data technology.
	The forthcoming Green Paper will outline further measures for strengthened local accountability, further bureaucracy reduction, greater flexibility for officers and staff, and a reformed performance framework that will reflect local priorities.

Domestic Violence Courts

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the introduction of specialist domestic violence courts.

Vernon Coaker: In the 'Tackling Violence' action plan (published February 2008), we committed to doubling the number of specialist domestic violence courts to 128, ensuring that even more sensitive domestic violence cases are heard in a safe court environment. In April this year, the number accredited by the national programme had increased to 98, with further expansion planned later this year.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Government policy is on asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

Liam Byrne: The United Kingdom considers all asylum and human rights claims, including those from Afghan nationals, on their individual merits in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 UN refugee convention and the European conventions on human rights (ECHR) and against the background of the latest available country information.

101 Calls: Cardiff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for discontinuing funding for the 101 number in the Cardiff pilot area.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 6 May 2008
	 While the Government recognise the benefits that have been demonstrated by the 101 single non-emergency number service in the initial live areas, it is vital that we target our resources to those areas which will have the greatest impact and which will contribute most to the protective of the public and security of the country. It was on that basis and in the context of significant pressure on resources and competing policing and security priorities, it was decided not to continue to fund centrally the ongoing live operation.
	However, the Home Office is continuing to provide funding for the national 101 infrastructure, which the Cardiff Partnership are continuing to use, and we have also made available a 101 Delivery Toolkit which captures the learning and good practice from 101 service to date. It is hoped that this toolkit will help and encourage local areas to embed the benefits in local services and to develop locally funded 101 services wherever possible.
	The annual cost to the Home Office of maintaining the national 101 telephony infrastructure will be 950,000. This funding will ensure that the 101 number continues to be available for all local areas to maintain or develop their own locally funded 101 services, informed by the benefits and good practice successfully demonstrated in the initial live areas.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime Prevention

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to combat alcohol-induced crime.

Vernon Coaker: The Government have made a number of such assessments. These include; the assessment of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder, the evaluation of a multi-agency approach to tackle violence and disorder in the night-time economy, as well as reviewing the results of the British Crime Survey.
	The Home Office conducted an assessment of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder. A report: The impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on levels of crime and disorder: an evaluation (2008) by Hough et al was published early this year.
	The main conclusion to be drawn from the evaluation is that licensing regimes may be one factor in effecting change to the country's drinking cultureand its impact on crimebut they do not appear to be the critical factor. The overall volume of incidents of crime and disorder remains unchanged, though there were signs that crimes involving serious violence may have reduced. There was, however, evidence of temporal displacement, in that the small proportion of violent crime occurring in the small hours of the morning had increased.
	In surveys, local residents were less likely to say that drunk and rowdy behaviour was a problem after the change than before it, and the majority thought that alcohol-related crime was stable or declining. Police, local authorities and licencees generally welcomed the Act and the new powers it gave them once implementation teething problems were solved . In general they did not think that alcohol related crime had got worse.
	In July 2007 the Home Office published findings from an analysis of data collected from a self-selecting sample of police forces (Violent crime, disorder and criminal damage since the introduction of the Licensing Act (2007) Babb et al).
	The key finding from this study was when comparing the 12-months before and after the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003, there was a 1 per cent. fall in recorded incidents involving violence, criminal damage and harassment; and a 5 per cent. fall in serious violence. The findings also showed the timing of offence had changed; with a 1 per cent. increase in offences occurring between 6pm and 6am, and a steep rise in the small minority of offences occurring in the small hours between 3am and 6aman increase which was large in proportional terms (25 per cent.) but relatively small with regards to the number of incidents (236).
	The evaluation of a multi-agency approach to tackle violence and disorder in the night-time economy was assessed in the 'Reducing alcohol-related violence and disorder: an evaluation of the TASC (2003) Macquire et al report. This report presented findings from a police-led multi-agency scheme launched in July 2000 under the Home Office with the aim of reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder in central Cardiff.
	The findings from this study showed that there were significant reductions in violent and disorderly incidents occurring in or just outside individual pubs and clubs which were the subject of carefully targeted policing operations. The most successful of these, lasting eight weeks, was followed by reductions of 41 per cent. and 36 per cent. in such incidents in and around the two clubs targeted. The reductions were also sustained over time.
	The Home Office also monitors the levels of alcohol-related violent crime and the perceptions of alcohol crime on an annual basis via the large-scale British Crime Survey (BCS). The results show that in 2006-07 46 per cent. of victims of violent crime perceived the offender to be under the influence of alcohol; a similar proportion to the previous year (45 per cent.). Additionally, the proportion of adults who perceived drunk and rowdy behaviour in public places to be a fairly/very big problem in the year ending December 2007 was the same compared to the year ending 2006.

Antisocial Behaviour

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to combat anti-social behaviour.

Vernon Coaker: Nobody should have to suffer antisocial behaviour. On 8 May the Home Secretary said we would not stand for it when she announced new measures to bear down on the most persistent offenders, tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport and make sure that the many tools and powers available to the agencies are being used appropriately and effectively.
	Three independent reports including the Home Affairs Select Committee report (2005), the Audit Commission report (May 2006) and the NAO report (December 2006) have confirmed our approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is working. Indeed the NAO reported that 65 per cent. of people stop committing antisocial behaviour after intervention one rising to 93 per cent. after intervention three. Peoples' fear of antisocial behaviour has fallen since ASBOs were introduced.

Community Policing

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the decision was taken to commission and run her Department's advertisements relating to neighbourhood policing teams; and who made the decision.

Tony McNulty: Many decisions are made in the planning of the communications campaigns. It would be an unreasonable use of resources to be required to regularly comment on the decisions made to plan individual elements of campaigns.

Crime Museum

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will discuss the Metropolitan Police's policy on access to its Crime Museum with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service.

Crime Museum

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who the curator of the Metropolitan Police Crime Museum is.

Tony McNulty: I understand from the Metropolitan Police Service that the name of the curator of the Metropolitan Police Crime Museum is Mr. Alan McCormick.

Criminal Records: Disclosure of Information

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what percentage of records of offences committed outside the United Kingdom held by the UK Central Authority were made available to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and used in CRB disclosures in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(2)  whether there are any data on categories of offences held by the UK Central Authority which may not be passed to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) for use in CRB disclosures;
	(3)  whether the Government plans to make all records of crimes and offences held by the UK Central Authority available to  (a) the Criminal Records Bureau and  (b) other law agencies.

Meg Hillier: The UK Central Authority (UKCA-ECR) receives conviction notifications in respect of UK citizens who have been convicted of crimes in EU member states. Convictions that are recordable under the National Police Records (Recordable Offences) Regulations 2000 are added to the Police National Computer (PNC) and are therefore available to the CRB for disclosure purposes.
	Between 1 January 2008 and 30 April 2008, the UKCA-ECR received 1,016 notifications, 220 of which were for non-recordable offences. All recordable offences were added to the PNC. It is not known what percentage of these were subsequently used in disclosures.
	Under Section 113A (3) of Part V of the Police Act 1997 criminal record certificatesstandard and enhanced disclosuresmust contain details of every relevant matter recorded in central records. This means all convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer (PNC), including spent convictions. Any EU conviction information added to the Police National Computer by the UKCA-ECR would be included on CRB disclosures.
	We have no current plans to extend these arrangements.

Emergency Calls: Public Telephones

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many emergency services calls to police were made from a public payphone in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall,  (c) the South-West region and  (d) England in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Extradition: United Arab Emirates

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions the Government has had with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on bilateral extradition arrangements; what agreements are in place with the UAE; whether these are under the terms of the Extradition Act 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: A bilateral UK/UAE extradition treaty was signed by the then Home Secretary and the UAE Minister of Justice on 6 December 2006; instruments of ratification were exchanged on 3 March 2008; and the treaty came into force on 3 April. However, before extradition can be operated in a general way and without a special arrangement between the two countries it is necessary to designate the UAE under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003. This requires secondary legislation under the affirmative resolution procedure, and debates in each of the Houses of Parliament are scheduled for 10 June. The provisions of the treaty are consistent with those in the Act.
	Currently the UK has extradition arrangements with the UAE for some categories of offence covered by international conventions, for example the Vienna Convention against drugs. The Extradition Act 2003 also enables ad hoc extraditions to take place if a special arrangement is set up. The designation of the UAE under the Extradition Act 2003 as a part 2 territory will be an improvement on the current arrangements, as the extradition of persons wanted for any offence punishable in both states with at least 12 months' imprisonment will be possible, providing extradition is not barred by any of the safeguards in the Act.

Human Trafficking

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps  (a) her Department and  (b) the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre have taken to reduce demand for human trafficking in the UK in the last year.

Vernon Coaker: We recognise the need for a more sophisticated approach and understanding of demand factors if we are to successfully tackle human trafficking. To this end we have continued to develop both general and targeted awareness raising campaigns. In late 2007 we launched the Blue Blindfold campaign aimed at raising general awareness of human trafficking and are currently piloting a poster campaign in Westminster and Nottingham aimed specifically at those age groups more likely to be the purchasers of sex.
	This builds on the innovative work undertaken as part of Operation Pentameter 1 and links in with the Government's current review into tackling the demand for prostitution. This six-month review began in January and is looking at both legislative and non-legislative options available.

Human Trafficking

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police investigations of cases of human trafficking under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 there have been; how many have resulted in papers being passed to the Crown Prosecution Service; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Investigations into human trafficking cases are ongoing throughout the United Kingdom. To date this has resulted in the convictions of 84 people for trafficking offences with a number of cases still in the process of investigation.
	It is important to note that traffickers may not necessarily be charged with specific trafficking offences depending on the facts of the case. Crown prosecutors may identify alternative offences and bring prosecutions under non-trafficking offences such as kidnapping or facilitating a breach of immigration law under section 25 of the Immigration Act 1971.
	The Home Secretary will announce the outcomes from Operation Pentameter 2 after the completion of the operation.

Human Trafficking: Children

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking regarding source and transit countries to prevent child trafficking.

Vernon Coaker: The Government's UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking encompasses a range of measures for tackling the trafficking of humans from source and transit countries. As part of our overseas programmes in developing countries we are working with our partners to raise awareness of the factors that make children vulnerable to trafficking and reducing the risk of children being trafficked.
	The United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC) and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) are working with their counterparts in source and transit countries in their joint efforts to disrupt and prevent human trafficking. The Home Office is leading a multi-agency group which includes the Metropolitan Police Service, UK Border Agency, London Councils, UKHTC, CEOP and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to co-ordinate a response to the issue of children from some European states being trafficked for criminal exploitation.
	The Government have strengthened the entry clearance rules for issuing visas to children which has helped to prevent adults using the system to traffic children from source countries. Similarly as a result of the Action Plan, Airline Liaison Officers (ALO) are now better trained to identify cases of child trafficking and advise airline staff in over 30 countries to be aware of the signs of child trafficking.

Human Trafficking: Females

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's most recent estimate is of the number of women in the UK who were trafficked into the country for sexual exploitation purposes.

Vernon Coaker: The nature of the crime makes it difficult to make an accurate assessment of the extent of the problem although intelligence suggests there has been an increase in the trafficking problem over the last few years. In order to better understand the situation the Serious Organised Crime Agency along with the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre continue to work on improving intelligencer collection as a priority. The intelligence collected as part of the current Operation Pentameter 2 will assist with improving our understanding of the nature and scale of trafficking throughout the UK.
	However, Home Office analysis suggests that at any one time in 2003 there were in the region of 4,000 female victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.

Identity Cards: Aviation

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether airline pilots with  (a) British and  (b) foreign nationality will be required to possess identity cards along with other airside staff ahead of the general population.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service will begin to issue the first identity cards to people working in sensitive areas (such as airport workers who work airside) from the second half of 2009. The precise details of the scheme have yet to be decided, but it is intended that, in due course, it should cover airport staff with a restricted zone pass, whether of British or foreign nationality and this could include some airline pilots.

Intelligence Services: Conditions of Employment

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will put in place measures to ensure that security service personnel declare all additional paid employment.

Tony McNulty: All security service employees are required to obtain approval from the Security Service Director of Establishments before undertaking any paid employment outside the service. For reasons of national security and personal privacy, details of approvals or refusals are not made public.

Islam: Broadcasting Programmes

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the police was of  (a) the investigation of Undercover Mosque conducted by the West Midlands Police and  (b) the subsequent legal case.

Tony McNulty: This information is not held centrally. This is a matter for West Midlands police.

Kidnapping: Children

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to ensure that copies of the leaflet issued by the Official Solicitor providing advice to the public on international child abduction and contact are made available in each police station; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Susan Kramer) on 22 May 2008,  Official Report, column 456W.

Kidnapping: Children

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2008,  Official Report, column 456W, on kidnapping: children, what guidance her Department has issued to police on the availability of International Child Abduction and Contact Unit information leaflets in police stations.

Tony McNulty: International Child Abduction and Contact Unit information leaflets are a matter for the Official Solicitor and are available from the Child Abduction Unit of the Ministry of Justice, or can be found at:
	http://www.officialsolicitor.gov.uk/os/icacu.htm.
	The National Policing Improvement Agency, of which the Missing Persons Bureau is now a part, has not issued any guidance to police on the availability of these leaflets in police stations.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the letter of 27 November 2007 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr A. Hussain.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 12 May 2008.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter of 23 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr P. Jeffries.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 4 June 2008.

Missing Persons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the number of police man hours spent investigating reports of missing people in the last 12 months.

Jacqui Smith: The number of police officer hours spent investigating reports of missing people in the last 12 months is not collected centrally.
	An estimate based on Home Office research indicates that the number of persons that go missing each year is approximately 210,000. The Lancashire constabulary report 'mountains to molehills' estimates that the average cost of investigating missing person's cases is 1,000 per investigation. While it is likely that force costs in investigating missing persons cases will vary, an extrapolation of the figures produces an estimated cost of investigating reports of missing persons at 210 million per year.

Missing Persons: Leicestershire

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of missing people were made to Leicestershire Constabulary in 2007, broken down by local authority area; how many of them related to  (a) vulnerable adults,  (b) children under the age of 12,  (c) children aged between 12 and 16 and  (d) young people aged 17 to 18 years; and how many of the reports of a missing person under the age of 18 years related to a child or young person (i) in the care of a local authority, (ii) with a learning disability and (iii) with a physical disability.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Leicestershire constabulary. Statistics on the number and age of individuals who are reported missing from home are not currently collected centrally.
	One of the priorities for the Missing Persons Bureau is the development of a national picture of missing persons, including the relevant statistical information. The National Policing Improvement Agency is working with key stakeholders, including Missing People and the Missing Persons Strategic Oversight Group, to take this work forward.

Motor Vehicles: Waste Disposal

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many respondents to the consultation on statutory charges for the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles supported the table of charges set out in Annex A of her Department's report on the consultation.

Vernon Coaker: The report on the consultation did not include a table of suggested charges. The table annexed to a letter sent out by the Home Office on 31 March went to various organisations and individuals who had been involved in the further work undertaken to consider the new charges and scenarios to which they would apply in the light of responses to the consultation. That work took account of the responses to the consultation and subsequent representations. The letter announced the Government's final conclusions.

Offensive Weapons: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of knife crime were reported in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to identify those offences that are knife-related from the data centrally collected on overall recorded crime. However, since April 2007, police forces have been providing separate aggregate data on serious violence involving knives. Home Office statisticians will assess the quality of these data and it is planned that figures for 2007-08 will be published in the main crime bulletin in July 2008.

Olympic Games 2012: Dorset

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding will be provided for Dorset Police to undertake their responsibilities in relation to the forthcoming sailing events related to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 June 2008
	The Home Office made available 416,311 in 2007-08 to enable Dorset police to plan and prepare for security at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. It is in discussion with Dorset police about funding for the remaining years.

Police Authorities: Theft

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of items stolen from police authorities in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 June 2008
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	This is an operational matter for each Police Authority and Chief Officer.

Police Cautions: Worcestershire

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cautions were given to persons aged  (a) under 18 and  (b) 18 years and over in each command area in North Worcestershire Division in each of the last 10 years.

Tony McNulty: Data showing the number of reprimands and final warnings given to persons aged under 18 and cautions given to persons aged 18 and over in the West Mercia police force area are in the following table. The Ministry of Justice is unable to provide data by command area in the North Worcestershire Division, as the data are not held to the level of detail requested.
	The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned( 1, 2 ) in the West Mercia police force area, broken down by age group, 1997 to 2006( 3, 4) 
			   10 to 17  18 and over  All ages 
			 1997 2,113 3,753 5,866 
			 1998 2,163 3,673 5,836 
			 1999 2,013 3,284 5,297 
			 2000 2,204 3,176 5,380 
			 2001 2,828 3,557 6,385 
			 2002 2,535 3,822 6,357 
			 2003 2,473 3,778 6,251 
			 2004 2,788 3,870 6,658 
			 2005 3,202 4,545 7,747 
			 2006 3,214 4,896 8,110 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.  (2) Includes data for both simple and conditional cautions.  (3) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  CJEA-OCJR.

Police Custody: Mentally Ill

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the appropriateness of the use of police custody suites to detain  (a) the mentally ill or those held for their own protection and  (b) the drunk and disorderly.

Tony McNulty: With effect from 30 April 2008, a person may be transferred from one place of safety to another before an assessment has been carried out. This commences section 44 of the Mental Health Act 2007 and recognises the importance of using a police station on an exceptional basis and that when it is used, there is the ability to transfer a person to a more suitable place at the earliest available opportunity.
	The Independent Police Complaints Commission is looking to publish a report later this year on the use of police stations as places of safety under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Initial findings from the research show that 11,500 people were detained in police custody under section 136 during 2005-06. The average amount of time spent in police custody was 10 hours, with the vast majority of detainees leaving within 18 hours.
	The arrests information held by the Ministry of Justice covers persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only. Summary offences of 'being drunk and disorderly' are non-notifiable and as a result are not covered by the collection. The Home Office has not made any assessments of the use of custody suites in relation to drunk people. However we are aware that a significant number of people rendered incapable by alcohol are being referred for medical treatment instead of being detained in custody suites.

Police Stations: Theft

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of goods stolen from police stations in  (a) North Yorkshire,  (b) West Yorkshire,  (c) South Yorkshire and  (d) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 June 2008
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	This is an operational matter for each Police Authority and Chief Officer.

Police: Bureaucracy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in reducing the amount of paperwork required for applications for surveillance by police and others under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 19 May 2008
	The Home Office concluded an internal review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in 2007. It found that there were instances of unnecessary application of legislation and unnecessarily bureaucratic processes, including where the police service had imposed some bureaucracy on itself. This was mainly caused by uncertainties over what the law required. Since then the Home Office has been working with police and others to raise understanding of what RIPA is for and how it should be used appropriately. Some progress has already been achieved, including improved guidance for practitioners from the new ACPO Covert Investigation Steering Group and from a new statutory code of practice for the acquisition of communications data which came into force on 1 October 2007. Codes on covert surveillance and human intelligence sources are in the process of similar revision, including whether a set of standard forms on what RIPA requires would reduce misunderstanding and cut paperwork further. The Home Office has estimated that the reduction in form filling so far has freed up, at least, the equivalent of 24 man hours of police time every day of the year.

Police: Europe

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with European partners on the allocation of European Commission funding for a study examining the feasibility of the creation of an EU federal police force.

Jacqui Smith: There has been no discussion on this subject and we understand that the European Commission is not allocating any funding to such a study since it is of the opinion that there is no need for such a police force.

Police: Finance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by  (a) individual police forces in England and Wales and  (b) her Department on hardware and software for obtaining, recording and managing activity-based costing data in each year since 2004.

Tony McNulty: Police forces in England and Wales procure their own hardware and software for obtaining, recording and managing activity-based costing data. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	In July 2006, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities and the Home Office jointly published the Information Systems Strategy for the Police Service (ISS4PS). This provides a framework for police forces and their authorities, as well as organisations that deliver national projects and services to the Police Service, to plan information and communications technology services. This includes the development and implementation of systems in accordance with agreed standards, including those for software. The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), together with its policing partners, is responsible for a number of existing national IT systems and for developing new ones, including the Police National Database being delivered by the IMPACT programme.

Police: Internet

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on the website www.neighbourhoodpolicing.co.uk in each month since its inception; what the budget for the website is for 2008-09; how many staff are employed to maintain the website; and how many unique visitors there were to the website in each month since its inception.

Tony McNulty: The Neighbourhood Policing Programme website went live in February 2006, replacing the National Reassurance Policing Programme (NRPP) website. It aims to:
	keep stakeholders, partners and forces up to date on the latest Neighbourhood Policing developments;
	act as a means of sharing documents, practice and case studies;
	enable Neighbourhood Policing practitioners to access a range of materials to assist their implementation of Neighbourhood Policing; and
	provide the public with basic information about Neighbourhood Policing and the ability to contact forces.
	Since 31 March 2008, the Neighbourhood Policing website became the portal to National Police Training in England and Wales.
	The website is currently managed by the Neighbourhood Policing Communications Manager and an assistant. Both members of staff work on the site as part of their other regular duties. In addition to these resource costs, the Neighbourhood Policing Team engage an internet management company on a monthly retainer of 525, to assist with the technical management, development and maintenance of the site.
	Between February 2006 and 31 March 2008,
	www.neighbourhoodpolicing.co.uk
	has been accessed by 3,732,645 visitors including some from countries such as China, the United States of America, India and Australia.

Police: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were  (a) per head of population and  (b) per notifiable offence in each year from 1992 to 1999, in each English county and Metropolitan area.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Police officers (FTE)( 1, 2)  per 100,000 population by police force area for 1991-92 to 1998-99( 3) 
			  Police force area  1991-92  1992-93  1993-94  1994-95  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99 
			 Avon and Somerset 215 213 210 206 204 204 201 201 
			 Bedfordshire 205 218 213 207 207 199 195 187 
			 Cambridgeshire 187 187 185 183 178 185 181 177 
			 Cheshire 194 197 196 198 204 209 208 210 
			 Cleveland 264 264 255 257 254 262 267 254 
			 Cumbria 241 244 240 238 227 233 236 228 
			 Derbyshire 181 193 191 188 184 186 184 181 
			 Devon and Cornwall 192 191 191 188 188 186 191 185 
			 Dorset 195 196 194 192 186 188 191 185 
			 Durham 229 227 228 223 231 240 249 258 
			 Essex 196 198 197 195 192 196 192 189 
			 Gloucestershire 218 212 213 212 205 204 197 198 
			 Greater Manchester 275 274 270 273 269 269 270 264 
			 Hampshire 188 191 190 188 192 197 198 196 
			 Hertfordshire 201 201 198 200 199 204 200 196 
			 Humberside 231 231 231 228 230 231 228 224 
			 Kent 200 205 204 202 201 209 208 203 
			 Lancashire 227 227 223 226 222 228 229 227 
			 Leicestershire 206 200 200 201 207 210 213 215 
			 Lincolnshire 202 201 200 198 187 194 192 183 
			 London, City of(4) 
			 Merseyside 319 323 326 325 309 298 298 299 
			 Metropolitan police 393 388 385 380 376 364 353 349 
			 Norfolk 186 189 189 182 181 184 183 175 
			 North Yorkshire 194 193 183 179 181 182 185 180 
			 Northamptonshire 197 203 198 194 192 195 192 185 
			 Northumbria 241 247 249 250 255 256 264 269 
			 Nottinghamshire 228 227 226 225 225 225 225 216 
			 South Yorkshire 231 232 231 233 236 242 244 243 
			 Staffordshire 207 207 210 212 209 209 216 211 
			 Suffolk 186 192 187 183 173 177 178 177 
			 Surrey 222 220 217 216 212 209 205 211 
			 Sussex 209 210 209 202 210 210 202 190 
			 Thames Valley 191 193 195 191 179 179 181 179 
			 Warwickshire 202 207 212 204 196 185 184 179 
			 West Mercia 185 186 186 183 181 183 178 178 
			 West Midlands 264 264 266 267 271 269 272 279 
			 West Yorkshire 244 241 240 240 244 247 244 236 
			 Wiltshire 214 218 217 215 206 195 193 190 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures) (2 )This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (3 )Police strength data are available by financial year running from 1 April to 31 March. Population data are available by calendar year up to 1996 and thereafter on a financial year basis. Therefore, these figures are not comparable with those for later years. (4 )Officers per 100,000 population for city of London and Metropolitan police are combined. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Total recorded offences per police officer (FTE)( 1, 2)  by police force area for 1991-92 to 1998-99( 3) 
			  Police force area  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998-99  1999-2000 
			 Avon and Somerset 57 57 55 51 53 48 50 50 
			 Bedfordshire 54 50 46 45 46 44 47 52 
			 Cambridgeshire 53 52 49 54 56 47 53 56 
			 Cheshire 42 42 39 38 33 30 31 32 
			 Cleveland 57 53 57 55 55 43 47 46 
			 Cumbria 38 37 36 35 36 31 36 35 
			 Derbyshire 52 50 47 46 45 42 48 48 
			 Devon and Cornwall 40 42 38 36 36 32 38 39 
			 Dorset 41 40 43 42 39 34 41 40 
			 Durham 48 49 47 43 37 32 32 31 
			 Essex 40 39 36 34 35 31 33 37 
			 Gloucestershire 52 53 52 48 47 43 44 46 
			 Greater Manchester 56 52 49 47 47 44 53 55 
			 Hampshire 48 45 43 41 41 36 37 40 
			 Hertfordshire 35 33 33 33 32 29 29 30 
			 Humberside 64 69 67 63 62 60 66 63 
			 Kent 52 51 49 50 47 38 40 39 
			 Lancashire 41 42 40 39 39 37 36 34 
			 Leicestershire 53 55 54 51 49 41 47 47 
			 Lincolnshire 41 44 40 40 41 36 41 41 
			 London, City Of 8 7 6 6 6 6 9 11 
			 Merseyside 32 30 29 33 33 30 33 36 
			 Metropolitan Police 33 33 31 30 31 30 36 41 
			 Norfolk 47 45 39 37 39 37 41 43 
			 North Yorkshire 39 42 47 49 43 46 58 55 
			 Northamptonshire 51 50 49 49 50 37 39 38 
			 Northumbria 65 60 57 54 46 37 41 42 
			 Nottinghamshire 71 68 66 65 62 55 61 62 
			 South Yorkshire 46 52 52 51 49 41 42 42 
			 Staffordshire 45 45 42 41 42 39 41 46 
			 Suffolk 37 35 33 32 33 30 34 38 
			 Surrey 31 31 28 26 26 24 26 26 
			 Sussex 40 37 36 38 38 37 46 48 
			 Thames Valley 52 52 48 46 47 42 47 51 
			 Warwickshire 45 45 41 38 40 39 42 43 
			 West Mercia 39 40 41 39 41 38 40 45 
			 West Midlands 47 47 45 45 44 39 43 51 
			 West Yorkshire 60 60 57 56 52 47 55 54 
			 Wiltshire 35 33 30 29 29 29 33 34 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures) (2 )This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (3 )Police strength data are available by financial year running from 1 April to 31 March. Recorded crime data are available by calendar year up to 1997 and thereafter on a financial year basis. Additionally, the coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1989-99. Therefore, these figures are not comparable with those for later years.

Police: Mental Health

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were diagnosed with mental health problems in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: This information is not collected centrally.

Police: Per Capita Costs

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was allocated  (a) in total and  (b) per capita for police services in (i) Suffolk and (ii) England in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Details of police force gross revenue expenditure are set out in the following tables.
	The Government do not distribute grant to police authorities purely on the basis of population. The police funding formula uses a range of data relating to demographic and social characteristics to reflect the relative needs of each authority. Grant allocations also take into account the relative tax base of each authority. Grant allocations are stabilised by damping to limit year-on-year variations.
	
		
			  Allocations for police services 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			   Total gross revenue expenditure( 1)  ( million)  Resident population( 2)( ) (million)  Total gross revenue expenditure( 1)  ( million)  Resident population( 2)( ) (million)  Total gross revenue expenditure( 1)  ( million)  Resident population( 2)( ) (million) 
			 Suffolk 98.38 0.68 110.51 0.68 115.44 0.69 
			 England 9,649.32 49.86 10,910.87 50.09 11,749.23 50.43 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			   Total gross revenue expenditure( 1)  ( million)  Resident population( 2)( ) (million)  Total gross revenue expenditure( 3)  ( million)  Resident population( 2)( ) (million) 
			 Suffolk 127.91 0.69 115.99 0.70 
			 England 12,578.52 50.48 11,957.62 50.70 
			 (1) Total gross revenue expenditureactuals from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) statistics (2) Resident population figures supplied by DCLG from ONS (3 )Total gross revenue expenditureestimates from CIPFA statistics

Police: Recruitment

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much time must pass after  a (a) British citizen previously living overseas,  (b) British citizen previously serving overseas,  (c) European Union citizen,  (d) Commonwealth citizen and  (e) citizen of a non-EU and non-Commonwealth country arrives in the United Kingdom from another country before they can apply to join the police force; and if she will make a statement about the reasons for the periods in each case.

Tony McNulty: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) does not stipulate a residency criterion for any applicant to a police force in England and Wales. However, because of the difficulty with obtaining sufficient vetting information from abroad, the Association of Chief Police Officers advises forces to implement a three-year residency criterion on all applicants including citizens of the United Kingdom and the European Union.
	Certainly it is the case that applicants who cannot be vetted will not be appointed.

Police: Speed Limits

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police vehicles were recorded by speed cameras in each of the last three years, broken down by police force; how many police officers received notification of intended prosecution; how many such prosecutions were  (a) proceeded with and  (b) subsequently dropped; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The information is not collected centrally.
	The law allows vehicles being used for a police or other emergency service purpose to exceed a speed limit if observing it would be likely to hinder achievement of their purpose.

Police: Vale of Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to improve policing in the Vale of Clwyd since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The Government have acted to improve policing throughout England and Wales since 1997. Crime in Denbighshire CDRP, which includes the Vale of Clwyd, fell by 30 per cent. in the four years up to 2006-07.
	Domestic burglary, for example, dropped by 8 per cent. in 2006-07 compared to the previous year.
	Funding for the North Wales Police Authority has increased from 62.4 million in 1997-98 to 99.5 million in 2008-09, an increase of 37.1 million.
	As at September 2007, North Wales police had 1,564 police officers195 more than March 1997, and 745 police staff269 more than March 1997.
	The Government have further assisted the implementation of Neighbourhood Policing across England and Wales. North Wales 2008-09 funding for Neighbourhood Policing, including PCSOs, is 3.17 million, compared with 3.08 million in 2007-08, an increase of 2.7 per cent. There are now 13 Neighbourhood Policing teams in North Wales police, four in the central BCU that covers the Vale of Clywd, and 154 PCSOs. North Wales received a 'good' grading for their implementation of Neighbourhood Policing in the 2006-07 Police Performance Assessments.

Proceeds of Crime

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many originating summonses for recovery order proceedings under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 were issued by the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland in each year of the agency's existence;
	(2)  how many proceedings for recovery orders under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 were concluded in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Northern Ireland by the Assets Recovery Agency in each year of the agency's existence;
	(3)  how many claim forms for recovery order proceedings under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 were issued by the Assets Recovery Agency in England and Wales in each year of the agency's existence.

Vernon Coaker: Information is not available in the form requested. The number of originating summonses/recovery order applications lodged by the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 1 
			 2004-05 2 
			 2005-06 2 
			 2006-07 6 
			 2007-08 11 
		
	
	In relation to England and Wales, this information was not collected as part of ARA's management information and not retained in the form requested. It would not be possible to obtain this information without incurring disproportionate cost.

Proscribed Organisations: Iran

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to remove the People's Mujahadeen Organisation of Iran from the list of proscribed organisations.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 21 May 2008
	The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2008 deproscribing the PMOI was laid on 21 May 2008. In accordance with Section 123(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000, it will come into force the day following the signing of the Order, which will occur once the approval of both Houses has been obtained.

Proscribed Organisations: Iran

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the time-scale is for lifting the proscription of the People's Mujahadeen Organisation of Iran.

Tony McNulty: The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2008 deproscribing the PMOI was laid on 21 May 2008. In accordance with Section 123(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000, it will come into force the day following the signing of the Order, which will occur once the approval of both Houses has been obtained.

Proscribed Organisations: Iran

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to comply with the decision of the Proscribed Organisations Appeals Committee in respect of the People's Mojahadeen Organisation of Iran; when she plans to lay before Parliament an order to remove the organisation from Schedule 2 of the Terrorism Act 2000; and what Parliamentary procedure will apply to the order. [R]

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 June 2008
	 The Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2008 deproscribing the PMOI was laid on 21 May 2008. In accordance with section 123(4) of the Terrorism Act 2000, it will come into force the day following the signing of the order, which will occur once the approval of both Houses has been obtained.

Prostitution: Young People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the police are taking to tackle teenage prostitution in  (a) Leicester and  (b) England; and whether there is a police unit dedicated to combating teenage prostitution in (i) Leicester and (ii) England.

Vernon Coaker: The Government's Guidance, 'Safeguarding Children in Prostitution', which was published in 2000, acts as a circular to the police and sets out how forces should respond to the issue of child prostitution locally. The police are responsible for leading the investigation and detection of these crimes, as well as working in partnership with other local agencies to ensure the early identification of those at risk and the provision of adequate support and protection. The guidance does not specify that each police force should have a unit dedicated to tackling child sexual exploitation, although all police force areas in England and Wales now have dedicated specialist child abuse investigation teams staffed by specialist sexual offences officers and rape prosecutors.
	Where the need to tackle sexual exploitation involves issues that cross local boundaries, the Government have funded organisations such as the UK Human Trafficking Centre and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre with the remit to tackle these issues and support local police forces.

Prostitution: Young People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much is planned to be spent on combating teenage prostitution in  (a) Leicester and  (b) England in 2008-09.

Vernon Coaker: No funding is allocated centrally by the Home Office for tackling teenage prostitution as it is primarily the responsibility of local partnerships to set local priorities and allocate funding accordingly.
	DCSF are providing a grant of 50,000 to Barnardo's in this financial year for a project to pilot specialist services for children trafficked for sexual exploitation. They are also providing strategic funding of 135,000 over three years from this financial year to the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping (CROP).

Prostitution: Young People

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what projects are run by the third sector to combat teenage prostitution in  (a) Leicester and  (b) nationally.

Vernon Coaker: Local Safeguarding Children boards have a statutory obligation to ensure an effective response to child sexual exploitation. They must ensure that adequate protection and support is available for sexually exploited children and young people and that provision is in place to take action against those intent on abusing and exploiting children and young people in this way. As part of this work, LSCBs are responsible for commissioning services to meet the needs of young people.
	In many areas, third sector organisations play a key role in addressing the issue of sexual exploitation. Their role can include preventative work, intervention in cases where someone is at risk of or suffering sexual exploitation, the provision of therapeutic work with children and young people who have suffered sexual exploitation and long-term intervention. They can also play an important role in gathering information and evidence to support the prosecution of those exploiting the children and young people, working in partnership with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
	We do not hold information centrally on the specific role played by third sector organisations in Leicester.

Public Order: Football

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of policing the sporting event at Wembley Stadium on 17 May was; who met the cost of the policing; and what proportion of the cost each met.

Tony McNulty: The FA cup final on 17 May was policed by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The costs involved are an operational matter for the MRS.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 on civil liberties.

Tony McNulty: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 puts under statutory control public body use of covert investigatory powers, including interception, access to communications data, surveillance and the use of undercover officers and informants. It covers the spectrum of interference with privacy, from the most serioussuch as an intelligence agency planting microphones inside the house of a suspected terroristto local councils' use of telephone company subscriber data to identify and prosecute those involved in unhygienic meat supply or benefit fraud. It ensures that in the case of both ends of the spectrum, authorisation is consistent with the human rights principles of necessity and proportionality. As part of the statutory safeguards built into RIPA, the authorisation of covert investigatory powers is subject to the oversight of independent Commissioners who carry out their remit by regular inspection visits, reporting to the Prime Minister and publishing annual reports on their findings. The Act also establishes an independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal to hear complaints.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of safeguards contained within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) balances public authority intrusion into individual privacy with the need to protect the wider public by ensuring that use of covert investigatory powers is authorised only when this is necessary and proportionate. As part of the statutory safeguards built into RIPA to make sure the powers are used properly, the authorisation of covert investigatory powers is subject to the oversight of independent Commissioners who carry out their remit by regular inspection visits, reporting to the Prime Minister and publishing annual reports on their findings. The Act also establishes an independent Investigatory Powers Tribunal to hear complaints. The Government welcome the role of the Commissioners and the Tribunal, co-operate fully in their inspections and investigations and would assess their work as effective. In his report for 2006, the Interception of Communications Commissioner noted that staff of the agencies he oversees are always anxious to ensure that they comply both with the legislation and the appropriate safeguards. Copies of the Commissioners' reports are in the House Library.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pages of forms need to be filled in by the police to obtain Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 authorisation.

Tony McNulty: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 provides a statutory framework for the use of a range of covert investigatory techniques by public authorities. There is currently no standard form, although the Act and related codes of practice set out the information that must be provided for the authorisations of the different investigatory powers. We are working with the police and other public authorities to reduce bureaucracy while ensuring that the appropriate level of information is provided.

Research Development and Statistics Directorate

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on the academic and political independence of her Department's Research Development and Statistics Directorate.

Meg Hillier: In 2004 the Home Office Research and Statistics teams were embedded in Home Office businesses rather than being in a single directorate. Quality assurance and professional development for these teams are overseen by the Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser.
	Since July 2007 I have not received any representations about the academic and political independence about research, development and statistics in my department.
	However, my department co-operated fully with a review of science in the Home Office and Ministry of Justice conducted by the Government Office for Science in late 2007. This review took evidence from the public and both internal and external Home Office stakeholders and is published at:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/publications/ho_moj_sciencere view .pdf.
	A summary of the written evidence to this review provided by both internal and external stakeholders can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/dius/science/sciencereviews/Completedpercent20Reviews/Homepercent20Office/page 44574 .html
	In addition my Department has updated its procedures and release practices for National Statistics following the creation of the independent UK Statistics Authority as part of the Statistics and Registration Act 2007 and also published its response to the report 'Crime StatisticsAn independent review' that was published in November 2006. This response can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/rcsactionplan.pdf

Road Traffic Offences: Fees and Charges

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who was responsible for drafting the table of charges set out in Annex A of the Report on the consultation regarding statutory charges for the removal, storage and disposal of vehicles by police; and on what date Ministers agreed the table of charges.

Vernon Coaker: I take the reference to be to the table annexed to a letter sent on 31 March by the Home Office to various organisations and individuals who had been involved in the further work set up by the Government to consider levels of charges and the scenarios to which charges would apply following consultation on the charges which ended in July 2007. The table was drafted by Home Office officials and agreed by Ministers on 13 March 2008.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average cost of  (a) installing and  (b) maintaining a single speed camera for one year.

Vernon Coaker: Information on costs is not held centrally. This is a matter for the police and local safety camera partnerships. Costs in each area will vary over time and depend on the particular cameras selected for purchase, the numbers of each purchased and their subsequent deployment.

Terrorism

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation her Department has had with  (a) the Lord Advocate and  (b) other senior Scottish law officers on provisions within the Counter-Terrorism Bill in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: As part of the wide-ranging consultation on the Counter-Terrorism Bill officials in the Scottish Executive were kept fully involved at all times. Official level meetings took place in Edinburgh on 3 May 2007 and 16 August 2007 to discuss the Bill as a whole. It is a matter for the Scottish Executive whether as part of their deliberations on the Bill they involved the Lord Advocate or the Solicitor-General for Scotland. However in the Lord Advocate's evidence to the Counter-Terrorism Bill Committee on 22 April, she made clear that she had been fully consulted.
	I have recently discussed the issue of jurisdiction with the Lord Advocate. My noble and learned Friend the Attorney-General has also discussed this matter with the Lord Advocate.

Terrorism

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met  (a) the Lord Advocate and  (b) other senior Scottish law officers to discuss provisions of the Counter-Terrorism Bill.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has not met the Lord Advocate or the Solicitor-General for Scotland to discuss the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism Bill. However, I have recently discussed the issue of jurisdiction with the Lord Advocate and my noble and learned Friend the Attorney-General has also discussed this issue with her.
	The Scottish Executive have been kept fully informed regarding the Bill. Official level meetings took place with the Scottish Executive in May and August 2007 to discuss the proposals.

Terrorism

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many production orders have been issued by each police force to media outlets under Schedule 5 of the Terrorism Act 2000; and what guidance she issues to police forces in considering obtaining such orders.

Tony McNulty: There are no centrally held records on the number of production orders which have been issued. Therefore the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Home Office does not issue guidance on obtaining production orders under Schedule 5. Schedule 5 provides detailed instructions for the police on how to apply for such orders.

Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) standard and  (b) enhanced record checks were processed by the Criminal Records Bureau in each year since 2002, broken down by police force area.

Jacqui Smith: The total number of standard and enhanced disclosures processed by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) each year since 2002 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of disclosures processed 
			  Financial year  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Total Standard 200,198 289,767 281,045 317,178 328,042 301,026 
			 Total Enhanced 1,462,802 2,059,233 2,269,955 2,568,822 2,908,958 3,107511 
		
	
	The CRB cannot provide figures broken down by police force area. This is because standard disclosures are processed without any requirement for the police forces to conduct checks and several different police forces may be required to conduct checks in order to produce one enhanced disclosure.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street: Art Works

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which works of art from the Government Art Collection are located in  (a) the personal ministerial residences of the Prime Minister and  (b) the Prime Minister's offices in Downing Street.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	I am arranging for a list of the works of art to be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Expenditure

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the expenditure of the Deputy Prime Minister's Office was between April 2007 to the date of the Department's closure; and whether resource accounts will be produced for the Department for that period;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 85W, on catering, how much was spent on food and drink by the Deputy Prime Minister's Office from April 2007 to the date of the Department's closure;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 85W, on catering, how much of the expenditure on drink related to products obtained from the Government wine cellar;
	(4)  pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2008,  Official Report, column 85W, on catering, if he will break down that expenditure by subheading;
	(5)  pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 13 December 2007,  Official Report, column 826W, on departmental records: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and further to the Deputy Prime Minister's Office Resource Accounts for 2006-07, how much the Deputy Prime Minister's Office spent on minor works, refurbishment, fittings and fixtures, in relation to the official ministerial residence in Admiralty House of the Deputy Prime Minister during 2006-07.

Tom Watson: Information on expenditure by the Deputy Prime Minister's Office in 2007-08 will be included within the published Resource Accounts for the same period. In financial year 2007-08, expenditure by the Deputy Prime Minister's Office (DPMO) on official hospitality was 6,796.33. All DPMO expenditure on official hospitality was made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. Information on the break down of catering expenditure by sub-heading could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	No expenditure was incurred during 2006-07 on minor works, refurbishment, fittings and fixtures to the official ministerial residence formerly occupied by the former Deputy Prime Minister.

Epilepsy: Death

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people died of epilepsy in each of the last five years.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 June 2008:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people died of epilepsy in each of the last five years. (207860)
	The most recent figures available are for deaths registered in 2006. the following table contains the number of deaths where the underlying cause was epilepsy from 2002 to 2006 in England and Wales.
	
		
			  Number of deaths from epilepsy,( 1 ) England and Wales, 2002-06( 2) 
			 2002 953 
			 2003 1,075 
			 2004 980 
			 2005 1,061 
			 2006 1,018

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2008,  Official Report, column 592W, on the Fairtrade initiative, 
	(1)  what Fairtrade products are  (a) available for purchase at his Department's staff catering facilities and  (b) offered at official departmental meetings and engagements;
	(2)  what the value was of Fairtrade produce purchased at his Department's staff catering facilities in each of the last three financial years; and what proportion of total revenue this represented.

Phil Hope: Fairtrade products available for purchase in our restaurants and offered at official departmental meetings and engagements are listed as follows:
	 Available for purchase in coffee shop and restaurants
	Tea
	Sugar
	Flapjacks
	Fruit juice
	Cookies
	Chocolate.
	 Offered at official departmental meetings and engagements
	Tea
	Sugar.
	The value of Fairtrade produce purchased in each of the last three financial years and the proportion of total revenue this represented can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Brian Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average length of time for  (a) hon. and right hon. Members and  (b) members of the public to receive a ministerial response to letter correspondence was in each of the last 10 years.

Edward Miliband: The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Cabinet Office has published on an annual basis, a report on Departments and agencies performance on handling Members' and Peers' correspondence. Information for 2007 was published on 20 March 2008,  Official Report, column 73WS.

Migration

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimates he has made of levels of UK net migration in the latest year for which figures are available.

Tom Watson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 June 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what recent estimate has been made of levels of UK net migration in the latest year for which figures are available. (208959)
	In 2006 the difference between immigration and emigration, net migration, was estimated at 191,000 for the UK. This is the latest available official estimate.

JUSTICE

Antisocial Behaviour: Fixed Penalties

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average cost of issuing, administering and collecting the penalty imposed by a penalty notice for disorder.

Jack Straw: Available data from the Office of Criminal Justice Reform show that the average cost of issuing a penalty notice for disorder (PND) on the street is 33. Where penalty notices for disorder are issued in custody then there will be additional costs associated with taking the recipient to the police station and supervising him or her whilst there.
	The lowest cost for taking a comparable case to court is estimated at 256.

Antisocial Behaviour: Sentencing

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect on the prison population of new sentencing guidelines for breaches of anti-social behaviour orders.

David Hanson: On 23 May the Sentencing Guideline Council issued a draft guideline Breach of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order for consultation. As part of the Government's consideration of the draft guideline we will make an assessment of the impact it may have on the prison population.

Approved Premises

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many bail hostels there are in  (a) the Borough of Telford and Wrekin and  (b) Shropshire;
	(2)  if he will introduce measures to consult  (a) members of the public and  (b) local authorities on the siting of bail hostels.

David Hanson: I understand these questions refer to the Bail Accommodation and Support Service, which provides private rented accommodation. These are not bail hostels. There is one, four bed property in Shropshire located in the borough of Telford and Wrekin.
	Local authorities are consulted on proposed addresses, as are the police and probation. Public consultation is not appropriate because the properties are the private homes of those living there and there is no change of use.

Crime

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many criminal offences have been created since 1 May 1997; and how many have been abolished.

Jack Straw: The information requested is across the entire legislative programme and for at least 10 years. It would necessitate considerable staff resources across Government and so cannot be provided except at a disproportionate cost.
	Information relating to my own Department has already been given in answers by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Maria Eagle) to the hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Malins) on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 965 W, and on 3 December 2007,  Official Report, columns 857-58W, and my answers to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 5 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 1109-10W, and on 10 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 163-65W.
	My Department is currently considering how to improve its database relating to this kind of information.

Fairtrade Initiative

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1433W, on the Fairtrade initiative, 
	(1)  what Fairtrade products are  (a) available for purchase at his Department's staff catering facilities and  (b) regularly offered at official departmental meetings and engagements;
	(2)  how much and what proportion of revenue from his Department's staff catering facilities was accounted for by Fairtrade products in each of the last three financial years; and what proportion of total revenue this represented.

Maria Eagle: Catering services to meet Ministry of Justice requirements are contracted out. Within the objective of achieving best value, the Department continues to ensure that suppliers are actively encouraged to support and make use of Fairtrade produce.
	The Fairtrade products available in staff catering facilities and at official departmental meetings and engagements are tea, coffee and chocolate together with tropical fruits like bananas.
	The Department does not hold any records of the revenue or the proportion of revenue from fair trade products in each of the last three years. Information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	We will continue to encourage suppliers to support and make use of Fairtrade products.

Freedom of Information

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has received the Freedom of Information requests from  (a) the hon. Member for New Forest East and  (b) Mr Colin Smith respectively requesting that the home addresses of (i) all High Court judges and (ii) the three judges who heard the recent appeal case brought by the House of Commons should be published simultaneously with those of hon. Members; when he plans to respond; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: My Department has responded to both requests stating that to disclose the addresses would breach the privacy of the individuals and declining to publish them.
	The expenses of none of these dwellings is paid for from public funds.

Hollesley Bay Prison

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what categories of prisoners are detained at Hollesley Bay prison; and what categories of prisoners were detained there in  (a) January 2004 and  (b) January 2007.

Maria Eagle: The prisoners detained at Hollesley Bay are Category D adult male prisoners and male young offenders. This was also the case in January 2004 and 2007. The criteria for acceptance at the prison have not changed.

Information Commissioner

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1571W, on the Information Commissioner, how many cases submitted to the Information Commissioner have been awaiting  (a) investigation and  (b) classification for more than six months; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: In respect of complaints received at the Information Commissioner's Office, as of 31 March 2008, the number of complaints which had been waiting more than six months from receipt at the office before being assigned to a case officer was:
	two data protection complaints; and
	272 freedom of information complaints.
	Currently the Information Commissioner's Office is classifying cases received in mid-April.

Information Commissioner

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 1571W, on the Information Commissioner, how many cases have taken more than six months between receipt and commencement of investigation by the Information Commissioner in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: In the 12 months from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, 222 data protection cases and 384 freedom of information cases have taken more than six months from receipt of a complaint at the Information Commissioner's Office to the start of investigation.

Juries: Allowances

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the financial loss allowance which jurors are entitled to be paid for loss of earnings will next be reviewed; by whom it will be reviewed; and whether consideration will be given to making special provision for jurors with dependants.

Maria Eagle: Jurors' allowances are reviewed annually by my Department, and are adjusted according to the consumer price index. Jurors who need to pay for care of dependants as a result of jury service may claim reimbursement under the financial loss provision in accordance with section 19 of the Juries Act 1974.

Life Imprisonment

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of  (a) prison staff,  (b) probation staff and  (c) offender managers working with life sentenced prisoners have completed training and other courses specifically designed for such work; and what the (i) duration and (ii) content outline of such courses was.

Maria Eagle: Training records for both prison and probation staff are not held centrally at present. To collate this information would involve contacting prisons and probation areas individually, and this would incur disproportionate costs.
	Prison and seconded probation staff currently working with life sentenced prisoners have been able to access specifically designed training. The three day 'Life Administration Process' programme gave staff an understanding of the life sentence plan. 'Life in the 21st Century' was delivered over four days and focused on the life sentence plan and the management of life sentenced prisoners. Both courses were suspended at the end of 2007 due to changes to the sentence planning system.
	During 2007-08 prison and probation staff (offender supervisors, offender managers and their line managers) each received 1.5 days training which looked at the offender management model and changes to sentence planning.
	A new course, 'Managing Indeterminate Sentences and Risk' (MISaR) will be available from autumn 2008 to both prison and probation staff managing indeterminate sentenced offenders. This course places an emphasis on identifying, reducing and reporting on the risk these offenders may pose to the public.

Open Prisons: Prisoner Escapes

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners in England and Wales absconded from open prisons between April 2007 and April 2008.

Jack Straw: 510 prisoners absconded from open prisons in England and Wales between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2008. This represents the lowest number of absconds since centralised recording of these statistics began in 1995.
	Over 95 per cent. of those prisoners who have absconded return or are returned to custody. Prisoners are classed as absconders if they absent themselves from prison custody without lawful authority and without overcoming physical security restraints such as that provided by fence, locks, bolts and bars, a secure vehicle, handcuffs or direct supervision of staff.
	Absconders who are recaptured are referred to the police and CPS and are either prosecuted or if the Police/CPS decide not to proceed they will face internal disciplinary procedures where they can be given additional days in prison.

Prisoners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of prisoners who completed their sentence during 2007 served their entire sentence in prison.

David Hanson: The latest information relates to the proportion of sentence served in custody for those determinate sentence prisoners discharged in 2006. This is detailed in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 10.1: Average time served in prison by prisoners discharged from determinate sentences on completion of sentence or on licence, adults, England and Wales 2006 
			Months  
			 Average time served  Percentage of sentence served 
			  Length of sentence( 1)  Number of persons discharged( 2, 3)  Average length of sentence  Including remand time  Excluding remand time  Including remand time  Excluding remand time 
			  Adult males and females   
			  All lengths of sentence less than indeterminate 65,900 16.5 9.0 8.1 55 49 
			 Up to and including 3 months 16,300 1.9 1.0 0.8 49 42 
			 Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 17,900 4.7 2.3 1.9 48 41 
			 Over 6 months less than 12 months 6,200 8.6 4.0 3.3 47 38 
			 12 months 2,800 12.0 5.8 4.9 48 40 
			 Over 12 months up to and including 18 months 4,600 16.3 7.8 6.5 48 40 
			 Over 18 months up to and including 3 years 8,900 28.4 14.5 12.6 51 44 
			 Over 3 years less than 4 years 2,700 42.5 23.0 20.2 54 47 
			 4 years 1,400 48.0 29.4 26.6 61 55 
			 Over 4 years up to and including 5 years 2,200 57.0 34.9 31.4 61 55 
			 Over 5 years up to and including 10 years 2,700 83.9 51.3 46.3 61 55 
			 Over 10 years less than indeterminate 300 157.2 95.4 86.6 61 55 
			
			  Adult males   
			  All lengths of sentence less than indeterminate 59,700 16.8 9.3 8.4 55 50 
			 Up to and including 3 months 14,300 1.9 1.0 0.8 49 42 
			 Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 16,300 4.7 2.3 1.9 48 41 
			 Over 6 months less than 12 months 5,500 8.6 4.1 3.3 47 38 
			 12 months 2,500 12.0 5.9 4.9 49 41 
			 Over 12 months up to and including 18 months 4,100 16.3 7.9 6.6 48 40 
			 Over 18 months up to and including 3 years 8,200 28.4 14.5 12.6 51 44 
			 Over 3 years less than 4 years 2,600 42.5 23.0 20.2 54 48 
			 4 years 1,300 48.0 29.5 26.7 61 56 
			 Over 4 years up to and including 5 years 2,100 57.0 35.1 31.6 62 55 
			 Over 5 years up to and including 10 years 2,500 83.7 52.0 46.8 62 56 
			 Over 10 years less than indeterminate 300 157.8 96.6 87.5 61 55 
			
			  Adult females   
			  All lengths of sentence less than indeterminate 6,200 13.3 6.6 5.8 49 43 
			 Up to and including 3 months 2,000 1.9 0.9 0.8 48 43 
			 Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 1,600 4.7 2.2 1.9 47 40 
			 Over 6 months less than 12 months 700 8.6 3.8 3.2 45 37 
			 12 months 300 12.0 5.4 4.5 45 38 
			 Over 12 months up to and including 18 months 400 16.4 7.1 6.1 43 37 
			 Over 18 months up to and including 3 years 600 28.2 13.6 12.0 48 43 
			 Over 3 years less than 4 years 100 42.7 21.8 19.5 51 46 
			 4 years 100 48.0 28.2 26.2 59 55 
			 Over 4 years up to and including 5 years 100 57.8 31.7 28.5 55 49 
			 Over 5 years up to and including 10 years 200 86.6 43.5 40.1 50 46 
			 Over 10 years less than indeterminate 20 147.1 75.8 69.8 52 47 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 10.2: Average time served in prison by prisoners discharged from determinate sentences on completion of sentence or on licence, young offenders, England and Wales 2006 
			Months  
			 Average time served  Percentage of sentence served 
			  Length of sentence( 1)  Number of persons discharged( 2, 3)  Average length of sentence  Including remand time  Excluding remand time  Including remand time  Excluding remand time 
			  Male and female young offenders   
			  All lengths of sentence less than indeterminate 12,500 9.8 4.9 4.2 51 43 
			 Up to and including 3 months 2,800 1.9 1.0 0.9 55 49 
			 Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 4,700 4.8 2.5 2.1 52 45 
			 Over 6 months less than 12 months 1,900 8.6 4.2 3.5 49 41 
			 12 months 700 12.0 6.1 5.3 50 44 
			 Over 12 months up to and including 18 months 700 17.0 8.3 7.2 49 43 
			 Over 18 months up to and including 3 years 1,000 28.4 13.6 11.7 48 41 
			 Over 3 years less than 4 years 300 42.4 20.5 17.5 48 41 
			 4 years 100 48.0 28.0 24.8 58 52 
			 Over 4 years less than indeterminate 100 59.7 34.4 31.0 58 52 
			
			  Male young offenders   
			  All lengths of sentence less than indeterminate 11,700 9.9 5.0 4.3 51 43 
			 Up to and including 3 months 2,600 1.9 1.0 0.9 55 49 
			 Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 4,400 4.8 2.5 2.1 52 45 
			 Over 6 months less than 12 months 1,800 8.6 4.2 3.6 49 41 
			 12 months 700 12.0 6.1 5.3 51 44 
			 Over 12 months up to and including 18 months 700 17.0 8.4 7.3 49 43 
			 Over 18 months up to and including 3 years 1,000 28.5 13.7 11.7 48 41 
			 Over 3 years less than 4 years 300 42.4 20.5 17.5 48 41 
			 4 years 100 48.0 28.2 25.1 59 52 
			 Over 4 years less than indeterminate 100 59.6 34.4 31.0 58 52 
			
			  Female young offenders   
			  All lengths of sentence less than indeterminate 800 8.0 3.8 3.2 47 40 
			 Up to and including 3 months 300 2.0 1.0 0.9 50 45 
			 Over 3 months up to and including 6 months 300 4.8 2.4 2.1 50 43 
			 Over 6 months less than 12 months 100 8.5 3.7 3.2 43 38 
			 12 months 30 12.0 6.0 5.2 50 43 
			 Over 12 months up to and including 18 months 20 16.9 7.2 6.2 42 37 
			 Over 18 months less than indeterminate 70 33.6 15.7 13.5 47 40 
			 (1) On discharge: the sentence may change after reception if there are further charges or an appeal. (2) Excludes discharges following recall after release on licence, non-criminals, persons committed to custody for non-payment of a fine and persons reclassified as adult prisoners. (3 )Rounded to the nearest 100 or to the nearest 10 for numbers less than 100.  Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. See Technical appendix of report for fuller information.

Prisoners Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released on licence did not complete a risk of harm screening and a risk management plan prior to release in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Risk of harm screening and risk management plans were introduced as part of the Offender Assessment System (OASys). The roll-out of OASys began in 2003 and is being delivered to offenders serving custodial sentences of more than 12 months. Data on the number of prisoners released on licence without a risk of harm screening and/or a risk management plan is not collated centrally. To provide this information would require manual cross checking of separate databases, which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Electronic Tagging

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward plans to upgrade or replace the existing system for tracking prisoners who have been released with a tag.

David Hanson: Electronic monitoring (EM) has been operating throughout England and Wales since 1999, following earlier pilot schemes. It is available at all stages of the criminal justice system. Adults or juveniles can be monitored on bail, as a court-ordered community sentence or release from prison. There are no plans to upgrade or replace the existing system, but we keep all processes and technology under review.

Prisoners: Ex-servicemen

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of the prison population who are veterans of the armed forces.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on 13 May 2008,  Official Report, column. 1512W.
	Data from nationally representative surveys of some 2,000 sentenced prisoners near release in all prisons in England and Wales conducted in 2001, 2003 and 2004 show the proportion of prisoners who had previously served in the armed forces as 6 per cent., 4 per cent. and 5 per cent. respectively.
	Information relating to prisoners in Scotland and in Northern Ireland is a matter for Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Prison Service respectively.

Prisons: Electronic Surveillance

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2008,  Official Report, columns 849-50W, on prisons: electronic surveillance, what regime of authorisation and oversight of personal covert surveillance operations in prisons was in force in 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Prior to the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000, there was no legislation regarding covert surveillance in prisons nor was there independent scrutiny of any such operations. Covert surveillance operations in 1999 required authority of the Home Secretary.

Sentencing

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of  (a) adult and  (b) young offenders found guilty of (i) sexual offences, (ii) violence against the person and (iii) robbery in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available were given community sentences.

David Hanson: The requested information is contained in the following table. The data are a further breakdown of statistics contained in Table 1.2 of the Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Sentencing Statistics 2006.
	Statistics for 2007 will be published in the autumn.
	
		
			  Number of persons given community sentences( 1)  for various offence groups and proportion of total sentenced, by age group, all courts, England and Wales, 1997 to 2006 
			  Number of persons 
			   Total sentenced  Community sentence  Proportion of total (percentage) 
			  Offence group  Adult  Young offenders( 2)  Adult  Young offenders( 2)  Adult  Young offenders( 2) 
			  1997   
			 Violence against the person 22,862 11,675 7,267 5,043 31.8 43.2 
			 Sexual offences 3,754 714 759 381 20.2 53.4 
			 Robbery 1,987 3,610 83 1,224 4.2 33.9 
			
			  1998   
			 Violence against the person 24,740 12,379 8,134 5,666 32.9 45.8 
			 Sexual offences 3,830 760 750 426 19.6 56.1 
			 Robbery 2,090 3,472 142 1,214 6.8 35.0 
			
			  1999   
			 Violence against the person 23,626 12,357 8,032 5,704 34.0 46.2 
			 Sexual offences 3,547 763 726 434 20.5 56.9 
			 Robbery 2,377 3,275 174 1,132 7.3 34.6 
			
			  2000   
			 Violence against the person 22,716 12,817 7,857 6,236 34.6 48.7 
			 Sexual offences 3,223 718 636 424 19.7 59.1 
			 Robbery 2,440 3,504 146 1,246 6.0 35.6 
			
			  2001   
			 Violence against the person 22,190 13,246 7,824 6,729 35.3 50.8 
			 Sexual offences 3,258 779 617 430 18.9 55.2 
			 Robbery 2,617 4,229 150 1,683 5.7 39.8 
			
			  2002   
			 Violence against the person 24,237 13,536 8,751 7,720 36.1 57.0 
			 Sexual offences 3,532 841 703 504 19.9 59.9 
			 Robbery 3,448 4,283 205 1,510 5.9 35.3 
			
			  2003   
			 Violence against the person 24,933 13,098 9,234 7,763 37.0 59.3 
			 Sexual offences 3,612 721 744 425 20.6 58.9 
			 Robbery 3,384 3,955 284 1,740 8.4 44.0 
			
			  2004   
			 Violence against the person 25,607 13,650 9,674 8,300 37.8 60.8 
			 Sexual offences 3,943 880 809 595 20.5 67.6 
			 Robbery 3,090 4,423 261 2,038 8.4 46.1 
			
			  2005   
			 Violence against the person 26,312 14,442 10,078 8,951 38.3 62.0 
			 Sexual offences 3,840 907 907 537 23.6 59.2 
			 Robbery 2,663 4,476 308 2,231 11.6 49.8 
			
			  2006   
			 Violence against the person 26,889 15,016 8,860 8,372 33.0 55.8 
			 Sexual offences 4,072 860 873 474 21.4 55.1 
			 Robbery 2,794 5,375 314 2,643 11.2 49.2 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Young offenders includes data for juveniles (10 to 17-year-olds) in addition to data for young offenders (18 to 20-year-olds).  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source:  QMS, Analytical Services

TREASURY

Child Tax Credit Helpline

Jo Swinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many audits of performance of the Child Tax Credits Helpline there have been since the helpline was established; on what dates; and what the outcome of each such audit was.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 21 May 2008
	The information requested is not available in the format requested.
	HMRC conducts a series of ongoing checks to monitor the effectiveness and performance of the Tax Credits Helpline which handles calls relating to Child Tax Credit. These checks include the daily recording and monitoring of general telephony performance, quality checks and complaints received.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what analysis he undertook prior to the Budget 2008 of the effect of the proposed changes to vehicle excise duty on people in different income groups.

Angela Eagle: The Chancellor of the Exchequer takes into account all relevant economic, social and environmental factors in deciding taxation policy, including analysis of distributional impacts.

Fuels: Prices

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment has been made of the effect of changes in fuel prices on the cost of the provision of Government services; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Fuel prices have a wide-ranging impact on the public finances. The exact scale and timing of these effects will depend on the responses of individuals and businesses to changing prices.

Income

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average annual income was in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall,  (c) the South West and  (d) England in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: Information on average annual earnings is set out in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) by the Office of National Statistics. Data are made available on the basis of where a person lives and where they work, broken down by parliamentary constituencies, regions and country. Information on the basis of where people live is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE_2007/tab10_7a.xls.
	Information on the basis of where people work is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE _2007/tab9_7a.xls.
	Information on the basis of where people live at the local authority level is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE _2007/tab8_7a.xls.
	Information on the basis of where people work at the local authority level is available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE _2007/tab7_7a.xls.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 6th May 2008,  Official Report, column 826W, on income tax: tax rates and bands, what representations he has received on compensating  (a) carers and  (b) retirees between the ages of 50 and 59 years who are paying more tax as a result of the abolition of the 10 pence starting rate; what plans he has to consult on mechanisms to compensate such carers and retirees; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Chancellor receives representations on a wide aide range of issues. On 13 May 2008 the Chancellor announced that income tax personal allowances would be increased by 600 for the current tax year, providing an additional 120 to basic rate taxpayers. This will support all basic rate taxpayers under 65, including many carers and retirees between the ages of 50 and 59. As the Chancellor said on 13 May, he will report on proposals for future years at the Pre-Budget Report.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral statement of 13 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 1201-2, on income tax, 
	(1)  what the effect of the  (a) increase in personal allowances and  (b) abolition of the 10 pence starting rate of tax is for those earning below 40,835, broken down by 1,000 income bands; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what information he holds on the  (a) age,  (b) sex,  (c) household composition and  (d) earnings level of the 1.1 million people estimated to receive partial compensation as a result of his proposals in relation to those who lost out as a result of the withdrawal of the 10 pence starting rate of tax.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 May 2008
	The announcement on 13 May means that 80 per cent. of the households who stood to lose from the Budget 2007 reforms are compensated in full, and the remaining 1.1 million will see their losses more than halved.
	Details of the 1.1 million households who are not fully compensated, including the information requested, are set out in the Government's memorandum to the Treasury Committee on its inquiry into Budget Measures and Low-Income Households.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the 2.7 billion tax cut announced on 13 May will benefit persons paying higher rate or basic rate income tax, excluding those persons paying the basic rate only as a consequence of the abolition of the 10 pence rate.

Jane Kennedy: People under the age of 65 with incomes between 5,435 and 41,435 will gain from the increase in the personal allowance announced on 13 May.
	If the 10p starting rate of income tax had been retained, people would have begun paying the basic rate of income tax at an income of 7,755.
	Just over 90 per cent of the benefit will go to people with incomes between 7,755 and 41,435.

Income: Ministry of Defence

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the policy of his Department that the proceeds of all asset sales by the Ministry of Defence should be available for re-investment within the defence budget; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Chapter 7 of the 2008-09 Consolidated Budgeting Guidance sets out the policy for the treatment of proceeds from asset sales. This is available on the Treasury website at:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk./media/4/1/consolidated_budguid 010208.pdf

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 17th April, on tax on fuel, PO Ref 1/56374/2008.

Angela Eagle: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 14 May, on the 10 per cent. tax band, PO Ref 1/571295/2008.

Jane Kennedy: I replied to the hon. Member on 6 June.

Oil: Prices

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the prices of oil and gas on taxation revenues accruing to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The full impact of higher oil and gas prices on tax revenues will depend on their effect on the economy as a whole.
	Higher oil prices generate greater receipts from both North sea corporation tax and petroleum revenue tax but there are a number of offsetting effects that limit the overall impact on the public finances. These include the impact of temporarily higher inflation on the indexation of tax allowances and social security benefits, the impact from lower demand for fuel on fuel duties and repercussions on other consumption and expenditure taxes and that higher oil costs could affect the profits of other companies.
	Updated forecasts will be published in the Pre-Budget Report later this year.

PFI: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value is of private finance initiative schemes in  (a) Leeds metropolitan district and  (b) Leeds West constituency.

Angela Eagle: The full list of all signed PFI projects can be found on HM Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private _partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm.
	For each PFI project, this list details the project name, the capital value, the constituency and the procuring authority.

PFI: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private finance initiative schemes there are in Leeds West constituency.

Angela Eagle: The full list of all signed PFI projects can be found on HM Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private _partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm.
	For each PFI project, this list details the project name, the capital value, the constituency and the procuring authority.

Poynter Review

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the final report by Kieran Poynter into the data loss at HM Revenue and Customs to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the Chancellor's statement of 17 December 2007,  Official Report, column 612.

Revenue and Customs: Official Hospitality

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) entertainment by each HM Revenue and Customs office in the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: Expenditure, including that on entertaining, is subject to audit and the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety. 10,001 was spent within HMRC (excluding VGA) on entertaining during the 2007-08 financial year. Obtaining information on the amount spent on alcohol within this figure is available only at disproportionate cost.
	This total can be analysed to the appropriate office directorates within HMRC as follows:
	
		
			
			 Anti-Avoidance Group 102.21 
			 Benefits and Credits 850.58 
			 Business Customer Unit 284.43 
			 Central Compliance 26.18 
			 Charities, Assts Residence 95.91 
			 Commercial 10.11 
			 Corporation Tax and VAT 182.45 
			 Criminal Investigations 1,292.76 
			 Customs and International 1,853.05 
			 Debt Management and Banking 511.57 
			 Detection 2,003.55 
			 Finance 352.20 
			 Local Compliance 305.52 
			 Large Business Services 43.12 
			 National Teams and SCI 69.30 
			 PAYE SA and NICs 65.50 
			 People Function 21.00 
			 Risk and Intelligence 1,926.64 
			 Solicitors Office 5.00 
			   
			 Total 10,001.08

Revenue and Customs: Pay

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the average salary is of a member of staff in HM Revenue and Customs assigned to handling the recovery of tax credit overpayments;
	(2)  how many members of staff in HM Revenue and Customs are assigned to handling the recovery of tax credit overpayments.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 20 May 2008
	The information requested is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Where there is a continuing award, tax credits overpayments are automatically recovered by adjusting the customer's payments. Such action involves minimal staff intervention. HMRC's Code of Practice 26 available at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/forms-leaflets.htm
	provides details of the automatic rates of recovery.
	In circumstances where a tax credits claim has ended and there is no continuing entitlement from which overpaid tax credits can be recovered, the overpaid amount will be recovered by direct payment from the claimant.
	Staff engaged in direct recovery work of these overpayments comprise several grades at different recovery stages and it is not possible to isolate the number or calculate the average salaries of staff engaged solely in the direct recovery of tax credits overpayments.

Revenue and Customs: Reorganisation

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what (a) gross costs,  (b) gross savings and  (c) net savings are assumed by HM Revenue and Customs in respect of their proposals to change their operations in (i) Trinity House, Oxford, (ii) Andover, (iii) Aylesbury, (iv) Banbury, (v) Newbury, (vi) Sterling House, Oxford and (vii) South East England as a whole; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  over what period of time HM Revenue and Customs plans to make the savings expected to derive from its reorganisation of offices in the South East;
	(3)  if he will publish a cost/benefit analysis of HM Revenue and Customs' plans for office relocation and reorganisation in the South East.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has too much office space and is engaged in a review programme to decide which offices should be retained as best suiting its future business needs. The review is being carried out on a regional basis but in the light of HMRC's operational needs across the UK, as its work is organised on national business lines rather than regionally.
	Decisions have now been made and announced for all HMRC offices in the major urban centres, including those in south-east England.
	Proposals were published in March for the remaining HMRC offices in south-east England, as well as in the west midlands, east midlands and north-east. They included proposals to retain the office building in Trinity House, Oxford, but vacate those in Andover, Aylesbury, Banbury, Newbury and Sterling House, Oxford. Final decisions have not yet been made on the future of any of these offices.
	There will be short-term costs associated with closing any office as well as specific ongoing estate savings from that closure. However, it would be misleading to look at these in isolation as they are just a small part of the overall picture. HMRC is restructuring its entire business operations in order to achieve the value for money savings and customer service improvements required by the end of the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period in March 2011. MRC is monitored on its performance against its departmental strategic objectives and this includes a cost/benefit analysis of its departmental transformation programme. The restructuring and relocation programme contributes to that programme.

Revenue and Customs: Reorganisation

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account has been taken of the Government's plans for housing growth in South East England in formulating the plans of HM Revenue and Customs for office reorganisation in that region.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC's) office restructuring proposals are not affected by potential fluctuations in local populations. Most of the work carried out in HMRC offices is not directly related to the area in which the office is situated and HMRC has given a commitment that inquiry centre services offering face to face advice to HMRC customers will be maintained in all their current localities.

Revenue and Customs: Smoking

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many smoking shelters were built at each HM Revenue and Customs office in the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: There were no smoking shelters built at HMRC offices since the formation of HMRC in April 2005. There were smoking shelters built at ex-Customs and Excise buildings prior to the merger. Information regarding ex-IR offices prior to the merger in 2005 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	When Benton Park View, Newcastle-upon-Tyne was constructed1999-2000 Phase 1, 2002-03 Phase 2 and 2004 Phase 3eight smoking shelters were built as part of the design package.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many incorrect penalty notices were sent by HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the leaflet from the early 1970s which women opting to pay the married woman's stamp were required to certify that they had read.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 22 June 2008
	The former Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) did so on 20 January 2003 in response to a similar question from the hon. Gentleman,  Official Report, column 86W.

Tax Credit: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of the number of people receiving working family tax credit in  (a) Leeds West constituency and  (b) Leeds metropolitan district;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the number of parents receiving child tax credit in  (a) Leeds metropolitan district and  (b) Leeds West constituency.

Jane Kennedy: Working families' tax credit was replaced by child and working tax credits in April 2003.
	Estimates of the number of recipient families with tax credits, by local authority and constituency, as at 5 April 2008, are available in the HMRC snapshot publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. April 2008. This is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	We do not produce these statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.

Taxation

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue would be raised by a  (a) one penny and  (b) two pence increase in the rate of taxation of earnings over (i) 500,000, (ii) 1,000,000 and (iii) 2,000,000 in 2008-09.

Jane Kennedy: The table 'Additional full-year yield from the introduction of additional higher rates of tax on TAXABLE incomes over a specific amount' contains comprehensive information on income tax and is available in the Library of the House. The table excludes any estimate of behavioural response.
	The version of the table currently available is based upon the 2003-04 Survey of Personal Incomes and is therefore out of date. An updated table for 2008-09 based on the latest available survey will be placed in the Library before the summer recess.

Taxation: Pensioners

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the administrative cost of collecting income tax from those in receipt of the state pension.

Jane Kennedy: Income tax is collected in a variety of ways from those in receipt of state pensions, including self assessment, PAYE, and tax deducted at source from investment income. HMRC has no estimate of the extent to which the range of implied administrative costs arises specifically from that group.

Taxation: Rebates

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what average time was taken to process and pay tax refunds in each of the last three years.

Jane Kennedy: There are many circumstances in which a tax refund may arise, and HMRC does not hold this information centrally. Refunds arising from online self assessment returns are normally made within seven days. Repayment claims arising from tax on investment income deducted at source are processed within 15 working days of receipt.

Taxation: Rebates

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people who  (a) are eligible to claim back tax deducted from their savings income at 10 per cent. and  (b) have claimed back this tax in the last 12 month period for which data are available.

Jane Kennedy: The number of taxpayers in 2008-09 with savings income in the 10p starting rate band is estimated at around three million. Of these around 750,000 are estimated to claim back the difference between tax on interest deducted at source and tax liable at the 10p starting rate. The information is based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 200-06, projected in line with Budget 2008 assumptions.

Valuation Office

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 899W, on the Valuation Office, to what a consequential refers for the purposes of the Valuation Office Agency's work on council tax valuations and revaluation.

Jane Kennedy: The term is commonly used in the Valuation Office Agency to refer to the review of the council tax banding of a property 'as a consequence' of information brought to light in respect of a neighbouring property. This is consistent with the statutory responsibility to maintain council tax valuation lists. There is no council tax revaluation being undertaken.

VAT: Lighting

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for lowering the rate of VAT on energy efficient light bulbs; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit pik) on 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 929W.

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times tax credit recipients have been charged penalties for  (a) not notifying HM Revenue and Customs of changes in their circumstances and  (b) negligently supplying incorrect information in each year since 2003; what the total value of such penalties was in each year; and what percentage of penalties were paid in full in each year.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 16 May 2008
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 212W.
	The total value of such penalties and percentage of penalties paid in full could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.